Posts Tagged With: Fitness

Well, I couldn’t be happier or more disappointed that June is coming to an end. I’m torn because well I didn’t do so well this month for jogging/daily exercising, logging, and blogging every day.

June 27-29th is all about excuses. Friday night, came home from work and went right out – it was date night! I thought about postponing to later in the evening and getting my workout in but really, I didn’t want to keep my handsome date waiting so I got myself ready and headed out. I had a blast so I’m okay. Saturday, I went to visit my mom and although that didn’t take the entire day, I just made excuses to not run. By the way, it’s been smoldering hot here (even tonight, at 8 pm it is 30°C with humidity sitting at almost 40°C). Sunday came by, I had high hopes. I stepped outside, the hotness hit me, and I had just an absolutely lazy but relaxing day with my sweetheart.

Success comes today, Monday, June 30th! It’s the last day of Juneathon so I just had to force myself to get in some kilometers so I wouldn’t be such a failure. For the final day, I sweat a ton again for 3 kms. That sounds so short now after I read your blogs and how much you guys & gals are running! Oh well. It’s still a lot for me. Although I’d like to consider myself a newbie but I’d say two years of running now, a handful of races, I’m classified as a runner – maybe not a long distance or a fast pace runner, but a runner nonetheless. Thank goodness I have some determination to push myself to complete Juneathon strong!

There you have it. As the final day for Juneathon, I’m going to feature Excuses!
When is it okay to make an excuse to NOT run or not workout? It’s not really an excuse when it’s legit. But…sometimes it’s necessary.

rundmach’s Top 5 Annual Festival of Excuses
1. Sick – If you’re sick, you should probably rest, your body is already working extra hard to fight off whatever infection your body is being attacked by (vomiting, migraines, fevers, bad coughs, etc.). Or maybe you’re a parent and you have a little one who needs you. Don’t beat yourself up because you need to be by their side, they’ll love you unconditionally – you’re showing them they mean more to you than yourself.2. Injury – This should probably be 1 but I think 1 may happen more often. If you’re hurt, don’t push it!! It’s been to take a day or a week off over having to take a lifetime off if you cause more damage. Even if you think it’s minor, you should probably RICE (rest, ice, compress, and elevate).3. Special Events – In this case, weddings, birthdays, or celebrations of any sort. Sometimes these events just take up an entire day and there’s nothing you can do. It’s okay to use these as an excuse occasionally. Of course we should try our best to make time for ourselves which mean running or working out (you shouldn’t always dread it, you should want it).4. Travel/Vacation – I don’t always endorse this one but I think it’s acceptable for others. If you’re on vacation, you’re probably already being more active than sitting at a desk. I prefer to be active on a vacation and be able to run and explore the new areas or go hiking BUT I think it is absolutely your right to take time to enjoy who you’re vacationing with (or even yourself) and spend time engulfing the trip you’re on (the culture, the food, the environment, the sights and sounds, etc.).5. Just Because – Sometimes, we all need that one day off. It’s okay to give yourself some slack. Maybe not as much as I have this month but that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up because you want a day off to rest or do something else (go for a walk, watch a movie, spend some quality you time, etc.).

Well, I guess it looks like you can find any reason to make up an excuse to not run or workout but that’s all up to you.

Juneathon, it’s been a blast. Thank you all for your support and inspiration with all that you have done bloggers & athletes.
I have done various other exercises (cycling, circuits/cross training) but this is all about running. Not my strongest month at all for distance covered but a successful 54 kms to wrap up the month… Janathon I completed 101 kms… I missed 9 days compared to 0. A 70% success rate versus 100%… I thought you’re supposed to get better over time? Guess I really need to step up next year for Juneathon! How did you do this month? How do you compare to Janathon?

I’m still a bit under the weather. Today I luckily didn’t have such bad head aches but I had a constant sore throat since last night. It’s more annoying over anything else. NTC called for a 3 mile run tonight, Juneathon asks for running daily, so I did 5k tonight to claim my Day 18 bragging rights. I had a pretty good time (faster than my average) especially with a 1 minute walk after I completed each km. I did wimp out and run on the treadmill because it was raining a bit. I had planned to run and stop at the grocery store so I could pick stuff up afterwards but since I treadmilled it up, I walked over afterwards to grab myself some lozenges, ginger, honey, and freezies. Here’s to hoping I can get some sleep tonight and get better soon! Regardless of how I feel health-wise, I’m super proud and happy with myself for not babying myself and running 5k!

Tonight I will feature an exercise you should probably give a shot… I know I featured Walking Lunges before and this exercise will work out all of the same muscles plus a few more. This will get you stronger hips, glutes, and thighs! I’m talking about Around the World Lunges.

Here’s how to do Around the World Lunges:

1. Start standing feet shoulder width apart
2. Step right foot forward into a lunge by dropping your hips down and driving your weight (keeping balance) through the front heel
3. Bring your right foot back to standing, then step out to the side with your right foot into a side lunge. Keep your left leg straight while bending your right knee and driving weight into your right foot.
4. Step back into standing position and bring your right foot back into a back lunge. Step back and drop your hips keeping weight on your left heel.
5. Return to start position and repeat. In NTC I do this for 30 seconds on one side then 30 on the other. You can do reps as well.

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Thank you everyone for the get well and birthday wishes. I’m feeling slightly better from yesterday. Definitely not 100% but not as horrible as yesterday. A sore throat and on and off headache is all plus a minor cough that I’m fighting since coughing hurts my throat.

Seeing that I’m not as awful as I was yesterday, I came home to rest…. With a 2 km run and a 30 minute Body Flexor workout on the #NTC program. I can’t miss a day, I just can’t, I’m a committed and loyal person so I had to do it. The run was for myself and for earning a Nike+ Badge that I had missed last year. Also, I can’t let Juneathon slide just because I missed one day; I’m counting the run as a make-up punishment for yesterday.

It’s 11 pm and I really should be hitting the bed but I’m not feeling all that tired even though my sickness kept my up all night yesterday? Yes, despite being in bed at 6 pm last night, I didn’t sleep all that much.

I’m running out of workouts that I do like doing and want to share with you that I feel I have some decent knowledge in. Is that sad? There are quite a few that I do do but I don’t enjoy them… Why would I force those onto you? So, while I sit here and think about all the workouts I can challenge you with that make me fall and tumble all over the ground feeling worthless, I’ve decided I’ll share something better… A workout calendar!
This is my Juneathon workout calendar. It has done wonders for me and kept me inspired. I fill out each week’s NTC workout program that I need to complete and for the blank days I add something in that day that I will do. Each day I cross of my activities. Similar to a workout journal, these tools can prove success in staying committed. When you write a goal down you are more likely to achieve it than one you commit to mentally or verbally. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, If it’s written, it’s real!

I even kept a running journal at one point and that was for Janathon. That worked well for me then but this works a little better now that I’m following a program. In the journal I had the date, exercise, time, pace, distance, temperature outside, and what I wore and how I felt in it to help learn how to dress while running outside. I don’t need that specific detail now that it’s just hot and I wear as minimal clothing, that I’m comfortable in, as possible.

I highly recommend recording your efforts to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished. Even if you aren’t seeing a physical change, seeing all the work you’ve done, documented, can be something to be extremely proud of.

Even this simple running log would work great! I know we use Running Free Online for Juneathon logging but I’m telling you, something about flipping open a notebook or calendar or blank template page and actually writing down your accomplishments seem like such greater victories!

It doesn’t matter what specifics or how vague the specifics are that you are writing down, just do it and you will feel a sense of self-satisfaction that you may not be able to get otherwise.

Forgive me runners for I have sinned. I must confess, I skipped my run yesterday and did not make it up today. I did however complete my Juneathon activities for Day 15 with 15 minutes of Dynamic Yoga for my NTC program and 15 minutes of Leaner Legs from the NTC program as well. I’m still struggling at this dynamic yoga workout. My wrists are too weak to keep me up for all these side plank variations and I just feel so defeated each time I do this workout (and I have to do it once a week). Anyways, that’s about it for the day.

Today’s feature is on RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevation. I didn’t do a specific workout today I want to feature so I would like to focus on recovering, especially when injured or sore or tired.

RICE is used as the first treatment for many muscle strains, ligament sprains, or other bruises and injuries. RICE is used immediately after an injury happens and for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation can help reduce the swelling and pain and help you heal faster. Use this for an ankle, calf, leg, foot, elbow, arm, or any sort of injury, discomfort, or pain.

So, if you’re feeling a little injured, remember to RICE to help recover quicker.

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It’s 10:30 PM and I just got in after waking up at 6:30 AM to get ready for a golf-tourney and BBQ to raise some money for charity and to play in honour of a good friend’s father who passed away 18 years ago. Golfing was fun and challenging. Some walking and swinging. In the end I reached my Fuel Points goal from my Nike + Fuel Band (which is better than most days when I work). I’m using this to gage the fact that I have been active enough all day to count as my Juneathon Day 14 Activities, playing 18 holes of golf. And just like running, I have found a similar inspirational message that I have often seen for running but turned into golf… This is exactly how we all felt after 15 holes when we wanted to take a mid-day nap.

Well, there was no 5k run as I am beat from the sun and probably around 4 hours of golfing. No, I’m no good at golf and we play best ball but I have a ton of fun and I’m out being active. As much as you may or may not believe golfing is a sport and physical activity (like I once thought), it is amazing! You’re walking, swinging your arms, bending your legs, and doing anything but sit on your butt on the couch for hours on end. I’ve taken over 8400 steps which is a little lower than the last day where I ran a 5k.

I’m not going to write a feature on how to golf because if I knew how, I wouldn’t have been +8 on the day… If you’re new to golf, the goal is to get as far into the negatives as you can (shooting under par – the recommended shots it takes to get the ball in).

Today’s feature is on Hydration.
I’ve posted some important pictures with information on staying hydrated when running and in general in the past. Water is important to your body’s survival, it makes up around 70% of your body weight.
1. Staying Hydrated is so important to your overall health, for weight loss, athletes, and for you.
2. By the time you realize you’re thirsty (Dry mouth, head ache, little urination, etc.), it’s already too late and your body is dehydrated.
3. You should be consuming at least 8 cups/ounces of water each day. No, this does not mean chugging down 8 glasses of water. You need to sip and consume throughout the day.
4. Bring a bottle with you wherever you go to track your intake.
5. Add lemon, lime, orange slices or fresh mint to the water to add some flavour.
6. Please make sure you are hydrating well 24 hours before a workout or run and hydrating during and after. I see far too many runners who look like they are covering long distances in gruelling hear and have no hydration system with them.
7. There are many reasons and benefits to stay hydrated and one I find is key, water carries out nutrients and oxygen throughout your body that is much needed. Without water helping to transport the substances your muscles and heart need, you are putting your body at risk!

Since this is a bit of a running blog, here’s a good one I found online regarding your urine colour, hydration, and recommended water to bring with you.

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My day started out early heading into the city for a doctors appointment. My annual check up…guess what? My doctor weighed me and told me I’m not allowed to gain anymore weight or I’ll be in the high risk zone… He asked if I recently gained a lot. I had to tell him I actually just lost 4 pounds in the last four weeks and I have been working extremely hard trying to lose weight in the last year. That was pretty upsetting and hurt quite a bit hearing it from my doctor that I CANNOT gain another pound. Well, after this I had the rest of the day off. I knew I was meeting my mom for a late lunch with her and some friends so I spent the next 4 hours just walking around. I did stop a bit to shop but spent most of the time just walking… To help compare just how much I walked today, on Wednesday, I ran 5k and I had about 9800 steps, today, my day isn’t over and I’m over 15000 steps. I even opted to walk the 30 minutes to the train station to go home instead of taking a bus. I walked everywhere today, as much as I could thinking I would use this as Juneathon activities. The last image shows all the benefits of walking; I am skeptical to believe it’s better than jogging though… Anyways, walking is great exercise too! Let’s be real here, I started a new NTC program Tuesday and today was a 45 minute Tighten Up workout… I got home, unwound a bit, changed and off I went to sweat-land. I did opt to do the workouts as plan without the weights. Normally I add weights to squats and lunges, not today. The toughest part will be tomorrow’s workout; NTC calls for a 3 mile run… I’ll be up at 7 am heading to a golf tournament I will be playing in and then a BBQ. How will I muster up energy late at night after a full day of sun and 18 holes?! Golfing a full round I would count to Juneathon but NTC will not let me substitute or postpone workouts. If I miss one I get 0 for completion… What a dilemma! Hopefully I will be just as determined tomorrow night to accomplish the NTC workout as I was tonight, despite my sore feet.

Enough about my day and endeavours, here’s today’s workout: Walk outs. And I don’t meant walking out of your job if you sit at a desk because yes, that would be some exercise but might not be best for long term. The focus of this is on your core and getting you the abs you want! I don’t have them yet but hopefully the more I do of these, the closer I get.

Here’s how to do Walk Outs :
1. Stand feet hip-width apart
2. Bend at your hips, keep your legs straight, bring your hands to the floor
3. Walk your hands forward until you are in a push up position / plank
4. Walk your hands back towards your feet, keeping your legs straight, repeat for a minute (I get about 5-6 done in a minute)
Note: use your core to push yourself back up without bending your knees

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Today I had high hopes for activities and house chores but I only accomplished a quarter of the things I had listed to do. I did jump on the treadmill thinking it wouldn’t be so bad. I’ve been trying to settle a pace where my heart rate would be in the correct target zone because it’s quite often too high when I run freely outside, I thought the treadmill would be a good place to do this. I also wanted to watch soccer while I ran… I didn’t want to miss the game. In the end, I only made it a little over 2 KMs on the dreadmill, a little under 15 minutes. To get to my personal goal of 30 minutes of physical activity every day to count for Juneathon Day 12, I sat on my stationary bike for 16 minutes to cover 6.57 KMs. Here’s the view:

I unfortunately haven’t done anything else other than going for a walk to the grocery store, some dishes, and laundry.

I did get to work on my blog a little bit. I’ve added the two charities I am fundraising for this year. Check out the links at the top of the page or you can make a donation to either one here: The Terry Fox Foundation: DONATE NOW , or the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation : DONATE NOW. Any donation is not too small, even a dollar can go a long way.

Exercise of the day… Back Pedal. Similar to backwards running, there are some great benefits of doing this exercise: reduced risks of leg and back injuries, helps create a stronger lower body, works muscles that you wouldn’t work running normally, and apparently helps with losing weight quicker. Here’s 100 Reasons to Run Backwards!

Here’s how to Back Pedal / Run Backwards:
In the NTC, I do this for 1 minute straight. I Back Pedal about 6 steps back, turn around and do another 6, and continue until the minute is up.

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I want to blog so much but my arms and hands are tired from my first session at the driving range tonight. Woohoo! I finally made it out; better late than never. In addition to spending time at the driving range (yes, I count this as an activity, trust me, if your muscles get sore the next day, it counts), I completed a lovely 5k run today! Juneathon is turning out to be a better success than Janathon! I swear, I’m in permanent exhaustion but I have the next two days off so I get to sleep and do house work to keep me busy. Today’s run for Day 11 of Juneathon was fantastic. I gave myself the easy way out and ran a relatively flat route instead of my usual tougher route. Success! I have now completed what I think is my fastest 5k!!!!!!! I completed it in 33:54 (mm:ss)!!!!! I only say think because my stats are all messed up from when I first started running. My iPod was telling me I was running 5k but really I was not even close. Anyways, after digging a bit, this is my fastest 5k time since last May. Yay!!!! Celebration time!!! I honestly don’t know how I slowed down so much. Probably just laziness. Feels good to be a little faster again and confident!

Today’s exercise…. Is…. Actually a stretch. I’m pretty stiff and sore now already after the driving range so stretching will be sooo good. I know I did a specific runners stretch feature, but this one is a good stretch all around. I also like doing this regardless if I’ve just finished a workout or not; the Pretzel (elbow-to-knee) stretch. It’s primarily best for your obliques but is also good for your lower back and glutes! So, if you work at a desk all day and have to sit, this is a nice little lower back stretch.

Here’s how to Pretzel (elbow-to-knee) Stretch:
1. Sit up straight with your legs straight and flat in front of you
2. Cross one leg over the other, placing your foot over and flat on the ground next to the knee
3. With your opposite arm of the bent leg, cross your arm over the outside of the bent knee, twist back from your hips and breath, count to 20 (or 10 or 30, it’s your stretch, do what feels good)
4. Repeat for the opposite side

That’s it folks. I’m all beat up. Wishing I was a way better golfer but I’ll just have to keep practicing. At least I’m getting better at this whole running thing! 🙂

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Today’s Juneathon Day 10 activities include a nice 30 minute walk (when I could have had been in a car) and a 30 minute Body Flexor workout from the Nike+ Training Club program. This is my first workout of my second program, Beginners Get Toned. Although the program wants to tell me I haven’t finished a program, yesterday I finished my very first 4 weeks of the NTC Beginners Get Lean program. I was in a bit of a rush yesterday so I didn’t get to express how extremely proud of myself I am for sticking to a plan for 4 weeks straight and completing everything I needed to. I missed logging one of the workouts so it told me I only did 94% of the program and now it says I am at 0 for finishing a program but whatever! I completed it and I know so I’m ecstatic! The workout today had some new exercises that I will hopefully get much better at. Can’t wait to keep pushing myself, even if I am too tired.

The exercise I’d like to feature today, I’ve been doing this one for the last 4 weeks and it was in today’s program too, Walking Lunges. Remember how I mentioned I love Hip Raises because they help tighten your butt, well so do Walking Lunges! Add some Walking Lunges into your workout to fit into some skinny jeans or to tighten up your gluts. This exercise also helps to build stronger legs (hams, quads, and inner thigh) and help with stability.

Here’s how to do Walking Lunges:

1. Start in Standing Position with feet hip-width apart
2. Walk forward by stepping your right foot forward and low at the hips bending both of your legs
3. Step up and Bring the back leg forward into another lunge downward
4. Take 3 steps (or 4 depending on the space you have), turn around, and repeat for a minute (or do reps if you prefer)

Key Notes: Push down with your hips, keep weight on your front foot that’s being planted, and try to keep your core tight and back straight. It is tough to keep your balance at first from one lunge walking into another and I still wobble sometimes but it’s a great workout!

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Time to keep it short and sweet. Long day, late night, so I shall log my Juneathon Day 9 activities and not get into details. 15 minute dynamic yoga from the NTC program (just because it says yoga, it’s not easy!) and 15 minute shaped back workout from NTC. Both extremely hard and sweaty but happy to put in my 30 minute exercise for the day.

Today’s exercise, although I’m not a fan of yoga (probably because I’m no good at it), will be yoga related. This pose is a nice stretch I like doing even if it wasn’t in my yoga program.

Here’s how to Cobra:
1. Lie down on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and bows hugging your ribs
2. Point your toes down and push down into your feet. Roll your head, shoulders, and chest away from the ground. Engage your quads but keep your butt relaxed.
3. Draw your shoulder blades down the back and squeeze the muscles down your back as your lower back down the ground.
These are the instructions from Nike with their images. I’m not even sure how you squeeze back muscles… I think you inhale as you come up and exhale as you relax back down… Anyways, here are a list of benefits I found online for this pose: Stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominals, Decreases stiffness of the lower back, Strengthens the arms and shoulders, Increases flexibility, Relieves stress and fatigue, Opens the chest and helps to clear the passages of the heart and lungs, Strengthens the spine, and Helps to ease symptoms of asthma.

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It felt just like yesterday I welcomed the weekend in and now we’re already parting ways again. What a shame; I could use some more recovery time. Juneathon Day 8 activities were simple, an early but fast 5 k. My NTC program called for a fast 3 mile run so I have to round up and do the full 5k because I live in a metric world. I had a fantastic run for being extremely tired and having super sore legs from 2 days ago! It was a bit my fault, I stayed up to watch the Cotto vs Martinez fight and boy was it great! I’m beginning to find a new love for Boxing… I’ve learned how to wrap my hands and proper jabs…. But, back to my run… this was a “fast” run, not one of the “steady” runs. How was I ever going to pull this off? I figured, just run, who cares if it ends up being fast or steady, I just need to cover the distance. I knew I was slowing down in kilometer 2 and 3 because of all the hills on the path I take, so I told myself to just keep calm and run on. Keep pushing. Keep going. After reaching 3 KMs, I looked at my watch and realized, hey, I’m not doing so bad, a little better than my average, let’s step it up and make this a fast 5 k! In the end, I finished one of my fastest 5 k runs in quite some time! I know I normally don’t want to bore you with the stats since I’m considered a “slow” runner but I am super proud of myself so I’d like to share I ran a 7’07” pace (my average being tracked right now shows 7’42″/km) and I completed the 5 k in 35:40 (mm:ss)!!! This is super exciting because I have been running most of my 5k races in the last year around the 37 minute range. Last Sunday I thought I had a fantastic 5 K (which I still believe I did at the time) and that was 36:46! I’ve shaved off an entire minute in a week!!! Is this possible??? This honestly, has to be the work of all the cross-training/weight training/NTC exercises and workouts I have been completing throughout the week. I am just so happy that I am so close to breaking that 35 minute mark again. I think it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been able to run a 5k under 35 but I can feel it coming!!!!

Okay, so what you’re really here for is probably a tip or an exercise that will help with being a better, happier, and healthier you. This is of course one of my go-to’s and favourite weight exercises, the flat Bench Press with Dumbbells. This exercise is great for your biceps and triceps, as well as pecs and front shoulders (anterior deltoid) if you’re trying to work those out.

Here’s how to Bench Press with Dumbbells:1. Start with your back laid down on a bench with weights in your hands (I am currently using 10 lbs)
2. Keep your elbows bent a little past 90° and dumbbells horizontal to your body aligned with your chest
3. Push your arms straight up so the dumbbells meet in front of you
4. Pull your arms back down and repeat (I do reps of 10 for 2 times each night after a workout)

There’s a few different variations to this with how you rest your feet or how you’re angled. Do a little research of your own and testing to figure out what works best for you. Don’t hurt yourself though!

Now I know why today was intended to be a rest day based on the NTC plan I’ve been doing. My legs are sore in every possible area. Well, regardless, it’s Juneathon so I pulled my butt outside this morning and ran a few laps around a track for 30 minutes, a little under 4 KMs. I didn’t say it was going to be a fast run! Haha.

I will have to use this blog to rant a little bit and maybe get some insight on this situation… A fellow runner was who got me out because he was doing speed work at a track and offered to pick me up. So, it was early and hot but off we went… Drove to one high school, the track was gated and locked! What’s up with that? Let me in! I was there a few nights ago… Ok fine… We decided not to hop the fence and drive to another high school; locked out too!!? Okay, this one was a catholic school so I understand, maybe the funds are different. But the first track was a public school that is also part of a public library…. I don’t understand??? I’ve never seen this before. Our third school worked out, no gates up, but it was super beat up: pot holes in the track and the lines were barely visible, but I’m just happy I got on a track because I wouldn’t have ran as much if I had been outside running a set route. Sometimes running aimlessly with a time goal instead of a distance does really help!

All I did was run and walk today. I’ve skipped the weights; I’m lazy and tired. Today I’d like to share some stretching tips good for runners. These exercises do feel great! I don’t stick to all of them but I am going to start to try!

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Today is workout #3 of week 4 of my NTC Program. The workout is called Dream Team and lasts 45 minutes. It’s new in the program. I haven’t done this workout yet. It kind of sucked, I’m not going to lie. This was the first one that didn’t have a 30 second recovery, anywhere! I think the first 5 minutes went straight through each exercise and then I had a 10 second transition between each 1 minute exercise. Whoooweeeee was it ever tough. There was also one exercise that required balancing your back on a foam roller, lifting both legs up, and doing an opposite arm/leg crunch, I failed miserably at this the first time around. My foam roller is definitely not long enough to support my entire back so I can hold up my legs. I improvised the next two times this came around and did bicycle crunches as fast as I could for the minute. Following this 45 minute workout, I did some dumbbell weights again – rows, bench press, and curls. After a whole lot of sweat and struggles, I completed my workout. So, that concludes my Juneathon Day 6 activities.

One of my favourite dumbbell exercises is the one arm dumbbell row (bent over). This exercise focuses on the upper back and the trap muscle, and I’m sure some other benefits come with this as well. I’m currently doing these with 10 pound weights and will eventually move up a little bit more.

Here’s how to Dumbbell Row (One Arm Bent-Over Dumbbell Row):1. Using a bench (or chair or even your couch if you have to), bend and rest one knee and hand down
2. Keep your back straight and parallel to the ground
3. Begin with your opposite hand holding a weight of your choice extended and foot flat on the floor
4. Lift the weight towards your hip until your elbow pasts 90° (a little above your back and you feel your shoulder blade press inwards)
5. Lower and repeat – reps of 10 on both side

Tomorrow is a rest day on the NTC program so I will have to improvise and plug in a run or a workout of some sort. For now, I’m off to bed.

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Well here we are, Day 5 of Juneathon. A little more than 8 km done (5 mile) run as per my NTC program requests. Overall, my pace was average but really, it could have been much better. Honestly, I have to vent about today’s run; the first 5 km were the hardest 5k I have ever had to run in my life! Or so that’s how it felt the entire time. Those first 5 kms felt like I was in an airplane! The wind was so fierce, my music was getting muffled!! It came at me in every direction and no matter which direction I ran, it was against me. This was NOT fun. Each little hill and bump felt 10 times harder than it should have been. Not to mention, I slept about 4-5 hours last night. The entire run was completely MENTAL. The moment I got home my body said no, my legs said no, but really, I’m stubborn and there was no way I was going to miss this run. I’m on my last week of my first NTC Program (it’s only 4 weeks). At least the wind decided to calm itself down after 5 kms and I had a fast & flat last 3 kms. Oh and at least it wasn’t scorching hot. So, I ended today’s Juneathon activities with some Russian Twists with a 6lb medicine ball, side planks, sit ups, weights (bench press, rows, & curls) and a lot of nice stretching.

Since I’d like to feature exercises I enjoy and am doing the same day, let’s talk about Russian Twists. These things are amazing for your core and abs. You spend the entire time focusing on keeping your abs tight and holding your posture up with your core. Hopefully I do enough of these to get rid of my belly. Also, I feel adding a weighted medicine ball or a weight plate, I’m strengthening my arms too!

Here’s how to Russian Twist with Medicine Ball (or without):

1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent
2. Cross one foot over the other
3. Lift your legs off the ground putting your body at a 45 degree angle
4.1. With your arms slightly bent holding onto a medicine ball (mine is 6lbs), twist from left to right
4.2. If you don’t have a medicine ball and don’t want to hold a weight plate, you can clasp your hands together (interlace fingers) and twist left to right
5. Aim to tap the ball on the ground – this isn’t common but this is what I like to do to add that extra little umph
6. Complete in reps of 20 (10 total for each side) or as many as you can for 30 second intervals (or 1 minute)

Today’s Juneathon activities included various workouts as part of the Sweat + Shape workout on NTC. I ended the working with added weights (rows and butterflies). I’m on a mission to get stronger and will not stop until I tone up my arms and can do a pull up.

Although this is my blog, my Juneathon activities are not yet over. I’m hoping to go for a short trot to losses up and get ready for a 5 mile run tomorrow (as per NTC plan). Plus I just feel I need more activity today; sitting at a desk all day can be pretty exhausting.

In today’s workout, there were two one-minute sessions of hip lifts. Another exercise I like doing. It’s only a matter of time before I have to start posting dreaded exercises but until then, let’s keep focussing on the ones I enjoy. Hip lifts help define and strengthen your ups but also your gluten (sexy butt)!!!

How to do Hip Lifts:
Do these as many times as you can for a minute, or do reps of 10.

Happy Hip Lifting!

rundmach
P.S. Just for back from a 3km run with an extremely fast pace. So much for a trot. Haha. I went to a school track to run, I think that’s the key, I ran about 30 seconds faster than my average pace outside. Craziness! I’m so excited for the 8k run tomorrow!!! Time to step it up!!! Woo!!!

Like this:

Today’s NTC program calls for a rest day, so what does that mean when it’s Juneathon? A run!!! A nice 4 k run for half an hour of exercise plus some squats, sit ups, weights (rows, bicep curls, & shoulder press), wood chops, and some very short planks. After a long and mentally stressful day at work, nothing beats a run with myself. I am so in love with running…. After I pass the first 7 minutes, haha.

One of my favourite weight exercises to do now are shoulder presses. These make me feel like a hero! It doesn’t matter if I am doing them with 3 lb or 10 lb weights.
Here’s how to Shoulder Press:
1. Stand feet hip-width apart and arms holding weights (or start with no weights)
2. Bring both arms up to shoulders with elbows bent
3. Raise your arms up above your head and lower down half way to bent position again
4. Repeat for reps of 10 or do as many as you can for a minute

Like this:

I’ve made it to Juneathon Day 2! What’s more exciting, I just finished my last workout for week 3 of my Nike + Training Club (NTC) – Get Lean program. It’s only a 4 week program so I am excited to be 75% through! I haven’t missed a workout! Today was a 15 minute dynamic yoga, it’s honestly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I am horrible at all these planks, side plank variations, extensions, sun salutations, etc. But I won’t dwell on how weak I am, the focus is to get stronger! So, after the scheduled workout, I added a 15 minute workout from NTC – Back Definer (which included more planks but with weights), followed with some sit ups, wood chops (squat with dumbbell swings), and weights – rowing and shoulder press.

So, I tried to do a video of myself doing the exercise I wanted to feature today, but I’m not ready for sharing this side of me to the entire world. Instead I’ve used the images in the below provided by Nike on NTC and mashed it up a little differently. Since I keep mentioning NTC, it’s a free app, I recommend you checking it out if you are better at working out with instruction and a structured plan. I’m loving it so far!

Today’s featured exercise: Opposite Arm/Leg Extension
I’ve had to do quite a few of these with the NTC program and they seem great! Challenging but manageable.
Here’s how to opposite arm/leg extension:
1. Start in step 1 form
2. Step 2, extend your opposite arm and leg like someone is pulling your opposite arm and leg while looking forward/up
3. Bring those extended limbs together as pictured in step 3 (elbow to knee)
4. Extend again without resting that arm and leg as in step 4
5. Now repeat from step 2 and bring your elbow to your knee,
6. Continue this for thirty seconds on one side (right arm, left leg)
7. Switch for 30 seconds on the other side (left arm, right leg) remembering now to rest the left arm or right leg on the ground until the 30 seconds is up
Note, when extending your leg out, point your toes and focus on extending (getting pulled) and not putting your leg up above your back (levitating it).

I find this strengthens so many points, arms, legs, back, shoulders and balance! Each 30 seconds I try to count how many I can do and try to beat it on the next interval. This is a definite must try if you are looking for something new and challenging.

Burrrrrr! It is cold outside! It’s not quite the temperature that’s cold, it’s the wind! It’s still going up to gusts of 50-54 kms! Thank goodness I have my treadmill! Yup, I’m saying it again, I like my treadmill. Today’s run was pretty great! I did what I’ll call an interval run, 1 minute on and 1 minute off. 5.3 mph on and 5.0 mph off. That’s a 7’02″/km on pace and a 7’27″/km off pace each minute. I did pretty awesome!! It was getting annoying having to click up up up, down down down every 60 seconds BUT it was so worth it because I just felt so strong being able to run 5.3 mph and having 5 mph seem “slow”. This run was still challenging but it was amazing!

Here we are with Day 28 completed for Janathon with a 2.11 mile run and some strength training exercises. To continue on with my 29 day running streak, I have registered for 2 additional runs for this year. My running journey continues with a Valentine’s 5k on February 9 and a 10k in the Toronto Yonge Street 10k run on April 13. I am now up to 4 races registered for this year. Ideally, I’d like to be doing 1 a month but there are none in January so I’ll count my December 31st Resolution run as my January run. Besides, Running every day for Janathon is a big race on its own!

After signing up and looking at all these races, I would really like to be doing some charity work but I just don’t know how? I’ve exhausted my friends and co-workers over the last year. How do I go about asking for more donations? I know I can volunteer my time but I don’t feel like it’s as valuable as what the money can do for finding a cure, providing medical support, spreading awareness, and supporting those who really need it. If you are fundraising, please let me know, I’m not very well off but I would love to support a good cause.

I’m still looking for motivation to run harder and stronger. Here’s the speech I listened to today and found the video online:

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. – Helen Keller

January 27 Run: 25:00 (mm:ss), 3.12 km, 8’01″/km (iPod)

It’s time to take it back a notch today and do an “easy” run. Almost everything I’ve read recommends shifting between easy, tempo, speed, and long slow distance (LSD) runs as well as adding intervals and fartleks into these runs. Having a variety of runs is supposedly the best way to lose weight while running but also increase your strength in running. When I was doing the running for weight loss program for a couple of weeks, it definitely worked for keeping weight off. Plus, with the major distances I did for myself over the weekend, I needed a shorter run tonight. My legs are a little tight. Although I did not do a walk run interval today, I kept a steady, “easy”, 4.7 mph for the entire duration of the run. Why do I keep putting easy in quotations? Because it’s still not easy! Running at 4.7 mph or 5 mph, it seems about the same challenge in terms of effort exerted. No biggie though, I completed 25 minutes of steady running for Janathon Day 27!

Booyah! 28 day run streak so far! Only 4 more work outs before Janathon is over. Can we do a Febuthon? Is that a thing?

That’s how I feel! Excited after running and happy to be alive, happy that I have a wonderful life, and happy I run. All of this after a puzzling Monday… I didn’t enjoy my Monday too much at work – too much stuff going on (nothing out of the ordinary) but I guess I just wasn’t ready for it. Mondays are extremely mentally exhausting sometimes, a big go go go and I don’t think I had my head in the game. Now, it doesn’t matter, I ran, it’s okay! 😀

The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up! – Robert Tew

January 26 Run: 50:00 (mm:ss), 6.52 km, 7’41″/km (iPod)

Well hello Sunday Runday & Readers! Yesterday, I was super stoked to have finished 5 k and said I wasn’t hurt by not hitting 6 k because the time ran out. Honestly, I wasn’t, but because I knew I still had it in me, I’ve been thinking I want to do 6 k next. For Janathon Day 26, running streak day 27, I completed a 6.5 k run (4 miles)! I went for a 1.5 km walk before this outside just to get some fresh air, plus it’s snowing and not ridiculously cold out today but the wind still hurt. I had a mini foam rolling session this morning to stretch out my tight calves/quads from yesterday. After the run I completed my regular strength exercises.

I found that the run went by pretty quickly today after I got over the fact that I hung up a motivational poster in front of the treadmill crooked… I have some OCD with certain things and seriously I couldn’t look at it any more. I changed my iPod from music to motivational speeches again and listened to the one I posted yesterday twice during today’s run. If anyone knows where I can find this BEST Workout Motivation in just audio to download, that would be fantastic! I even put on the video today and that really got me pumped! I’ve tried listening to podcasts, watching tv shows / documentaries, and regular music but nothing has worked like this video compilation. My last session (a 5 minute run after intervals of 8:1), I increased speeds from 5.2 up to 5.7 mph! I’m actually starting to like my dreaded treadmill again!!! It’s telling me I’m running at paces I find amazing for me and helping me push myself to run long and further than I would outside. This must have been how I felt last winter when I built up to running 10k’s on the treadmill! Any ways, it does get a little boring on the treadmill but today I really found listening to different motivational speeches really got me through the run quicker than when I was switching to songs.

Do you have any recommended motivational speeches that are heart pumping?
Any recommendations on what to listen to while running?

Boy, if my treadmill could do the things I thought paying $800 for a machine would do, I would have completed 6 km. I know I complain about the treadmill a lot but I really wish I could just add 5 minutes to a current session without having to wait for it shut down, restart, and reselect all my run settings. I actually had set out to complete 5 km, so I set the treadmill to 45 minutes giving myself a good little buffer if I decided to run “slow”. My run felt pretty great! I steadily increased my pace from 4.8 up to 5.5 mph throughout the run. At each 8 minute interval, I had a 1 minute walk at 3.9 mph.

What drove me to running up to 5.5 mph? Well, You’ll have to thank motivational speeches as cliché as they are, they work! I was skimming through some online radio workout stations while running and I hit skip a LOT even on my own playlists. I came across this in a station: BEST Workout Motivation (warning, 9 minutes long and you will want to be a beast after this!). It wasn’t anything I haven’t heard before but I think around the 5 minute mark, the “WHO AM I?! I AM A CHAMPION” got me really really pumped up and that’s when I went from 4.9 to 5 to 5.1 to 5.3 in 1 interval. Nearing the end, with I think 4 minutes left, I looked at the actual distance and realized how close I could be to 6 km. I knew I wouldn’t hit it with my pace (I even knew 5.5 wouldn’t get me there), but I had to up the speed and get as close as I can in the 45 minutes I had set. I’m not heartbroken over not hitting 6 because that wasn’t what was going to define my successful run today, 5 k was the goal and I have achieved it. This doesn’t mean I’m settling for less either.

After the run, I continued with some more of my strength training exercises. The nice kind of sore happens almost every morning in my upper back / shoulder blades. I’m working on bringing sexy back! Haha.

So, here we are, the last week of Janathon, with Day 25 completed early in the day. Yes, I went for my run before noon today! I have a family dinner tonight and well that will go late and include a lot of food. I did some cleaning and organizing in my basement. Prepped some of my fruits into snack sized containers. I also woke up at 7 am and didn’t get back to bed so I’ve had a pretty productive day so far! With only 6 more days of Janathon being the “reason” why I’m running, I have already been running for me but I like having Janathon be the excuse; plus it just seems easier to let myself down than an entire community! However, I am working at changing that mentality and working on focussing on me! 😀

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance. The wise grows it under his feet.– James Oppenheim

The way I see it… Runners grow happiness under their feet and flourish in the distance.

January 6 Run: 16:00 (mm:ss), 2.12 km, 7’32″/km (iPod)

There it is!!! Janathon Day 6 complete – another 2 km! I honestly thought that by 6 day I would have caved and done a cycling session instead. I may not have blogged it yet and as it is always said at my work “if it’s written it’s real”, I plan to run a minimum of 2 km a day for the month of January (or at least average out 2 km a day for January). If I decide to cycle instead of run then I will have to ensure the day before or after is at least a 4 km run. Here we are on a Monday after a very busy day at work, I planned that I would be exhausted (mentally) from work so I did 4 kms yesterday in anticipation. Well, I got home after a long day and all I wanted to do was run!!! Maybe I should have done more than 2 kms on the treadmill, but I was dripping of sweat so I knew I got a good work out in. Sometimes 2 kms sound so minimal to me and others it sounds like it’s unachievable! Right now, it’s perfect for me.

Oh by the way, it is -17°C (feels like -29°C) with freezing rain and wind chill warnings and wind gusts at 34 km/h up to 53 km/h. Based on the freezing rain last night, all the sidewalks were iced up and skateable! I don’t think my spikes would have saved me. This is why I opted for the treadmill tonight, haha. It was a no brainer.

Believe in yourself! I believe in me and I can’t wait to see how far my body will go with running every day for an entire month! Part of my Janathon goal is to not let my mental get in the way. I will do what my body can physically do on its own and shut my brain off!

JANATHON 2014!!!!

*Or do some other form of exercise (swim, bike, etc.)
**Or tweet
***Um, no, it’s harder than you think!

So, that’s about it, Run & Blog everyday, find out everything else you need to know about Janathon here: http://www.janathon.com.

I remember stumbling across Janathon last year right near the end of the month and figured well it’s too late now – I never knew you could join anytime!
Well, here we are in 2014 and I got home around 9:30 PM (it’s about -23°C here with the windchill) so I laced up and got on the treadmill. There was no way I was going to let myself say “Oh in another 364 days I’ll give this Janathon thing a shot”. The time is NOW!

January 1 Run: 17:22 (mm:ss), 2.02 km, 8’36″/km

Although it was a short run, I was determined to make 2 kms (aiming for around 15 minutes…). This was a treadmill run, and guess what? The treadmill says I did 2.59 km while my Nike+ watch said I did 2.02 km… If you’ve missed it before, none of my tech pieces seem to sync up but I’m gauging all of my runs off of the watch that follows me everywhere I go – so I ran the extra few on the treadmill so that my watch would add up to 2 KMs. Whooooweee was that ever a long 2 km, felt like the longest 2 k I have ever ran!
Check out the comparison below between my Nike+ watch and my iPod nano with the Nike+ built-in… a minute off (since I turned the iPod on earlier) but an extra 550 meters? I don’t think I can run that fast!

Why 2 kilometres (1.24 miles)? Well, I haven’t quite set my 2014 goals yet but if I do set one, it might be to cover a total of 730 kms in 2014 (that’s 2 kms a day). This year I did covered a total of 481 km! That’s a big difference!!! I’m not 100% sure if this is what I want to do as I’ll have my ever so enjoyable 5k runs and races along with some 10 k races but let’s not start the year off too harsh and at least get the 2kms in while I can! It’s not like the goal is to actually run 2 kms a day but to average out 2 kms a day for the entire year.

I think I’m all signed up on Janathon and on the Running Free site that is being recommended (but it can’t seem to connect to my Nike+ and I haven’t had time to figure out how to upload my workouts). I’m rundmach on those sites as well so please add me! I’ll figure all of this stuff out later when I’m not sleepy and need to get to bed for work tomorrow…

Just one more thing to cover… I got to kick off the New Year with some new kicks! I bought my running shoe in the previous year’s model a few months back because they were half the price of the pair I’m currently running. There were no major changes to the shoe so I saved them for the New Year! These are the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12’s – I’m currently in the 13’s which I have duct taped the inside to “weather” proof them so these 12’s will be my new indoor/treadmill shoe for now. They felt pretty awesome! 🙂 (I’m a big Nike fan but unfortunately, their shoes just aren’t made for my feet and for me to run in).

I’m not sure how I can keep track to run/be active everyday and blog everyday, but this will be a fun experiment to see how long I can go!

Are you participating in Janathon? Have you set some New Years goals yet?

Happy New Year and Happy Running!!!! 😀

Live everyday with Love or running – it’s practically the same thing ♥.

I’m excited to end off a Year with a run. Seeing my tags for my posts with “New Years Resolution” still being one of the larger ones means I’ve kind of succeeded! I’ve continued running this entire year! I have gone for at least 1 run every month this year!! I can’t wait to set new goals for the New Year. I’ve been reading a bunch of inspiring and touching year-end recaps and excited goals for the New Year, I wish you all the best! Your stories and blogs inspire me to continue.

Tonight’s run was at the pace that is comfortable to me without my spikes… didn’t think I would need them since I thought it was a regular “race” but we ran the sidewalks and was following pedestrian rules. The sidewalks were a little dangerous with ice and snow all around so we were all being “slower” and more careful with each step. Although I kept the same pace as my last run, my average heart rate was ridiculously higher than my average, guess I really ran my heart out! There’s no medal or anything but a super cool race jacket! I am so thankful for all of the volunteers, Brita, and all of the staff at the Burlington Running Room (and anyone else who may have been involved).

Thank you runrchatts for doing this run with me! I remember a few months back I didn’t want to do this alone since it was at 5 PM race and I had to go to work this morning so I signed him up and asked him to join me 🙂 Thank you for running my pace as well.

I am a runner. A slow runner. I might be going slower than a snail who’s stuck in peanut butter but I am still moving and proud of it!

This has been an amazing year with a lot of amazing victories: my first 10k, my second 10k, a couple of 5ks in the mix, and a whole lot of money raised for causes I believe in. The only resolution that has been left unresolved is my weight – I started and will be ending the year weighing the exact same. I’m not too bummed out about this since I feel much healthier than I did last year! 🙂
I am off to plan out my New Year and decide on the runs I’d like to do, volunteer for, and charities/causes I’d like to raise some funds for.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you’ll be a success. – Albert Schweitzer

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas / Happy Holiday no matter what you celebrated or will be celebrating!
I hope Santa was good to you. He was too me and all my favourite gifts are running related!! 🙂

December 28 Run: 39:00 (mm:ss), 5.00 km, 7’47″/km

It’s that time of year where I give in and have that second glass of egg nog and choose to spend time in front of the fireplace over lacing up and running. I won’t fully blame it on being sick as I’ve had a some kind of stomach bug for a few weeks now – it’s been so painful some days I just curl up until the pain passes. Today was no different. My stomach felt off and I really didn’t know what to do with myself – besides watch Criminal Minds (Marathon is on for another 7 days – STRAIGHT!). I just chose to let work take over my life and get caught up with the holidays.

Well, regardless of how I felt, I thought maybe my stomach is acting up because I haven’t been running! So, I laced up and put to use my new running spikes from runrchatts. The best part of Christmas? We bought each other the exact same thing – not only running spikes for the winter (because we just had a major ice storm here in southern Ontario), but we got each other the exact same brand and colour just in a different size, hahaha! The ice storm was so intense that people were ice skating on their side walks! Any ways, back to the run. The spikes are fantastic! I felt unstoppable! It was a little odd running on pavement with them on since some of the ice and snow has melted but the rest of the run felt steady and great! I had a very pleasing pace for my first run back after a 2 week Christmas hiatus. Everything was great – a little over dressed, body was sore and aching, my chest hurt, but the run was fantastic!

So, the running continues. My running plan is put on hold until I can get back on track with the plan itself. In the meantime, I will just get out there and run. 😀

Not a day went by in the last two weeks I didn’t think about running. I was sad I was letting myself down but was happy with the other things I was doing with family and friends. On the plus side, I didn’t let this turn into a month of no running and I was still very mindful of what I was eating and how much I was eating. I let myself have what I wanted but didn’t over do it. I hope you have been giving into your indulgences, you’re allowed! 🙂

Tuesday, December 31st is quickly approaching. Only 3 more days to the resolution run… It’s not on January 1st so it’s really a year-end run for me as I see it. A celebration of all that I have accomplished this year and getting ready for all the awesomeness in the new year!

Any who, hope you’ve been better than I and been running in the wonderful Winter season!

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. – Roy L. Goodman

December 15 Run: 45:17 (mm:ss), 5.47 km, 8’16″/km

Woah woah woah, let’s cover one thing with this pace, I was running in snow and my watch kept telling me I was running at 5’s and 6’s the whole time!! Not to fret though, I got out and completed my run after skipping the run on Friday night. I’ve been sick the last two days – not cold sick from the weather but bathroom sick which means no rapid movement allowed. Sorry if that was too much info for you.

Anyways, I got out to do the Friday run I had missed today since I felt a little better, my stomach is still not 100% back to normal but I managed. We got hit here with a LOT of snow and I’m sure all my fellow runners in Southern Ontario know what I mean since this is our first “Major” snowstorm of the season. According to the news we got hit with 25-30 cm of snow yesterday. My run today was wonderful. Very very tough but wonderful. This challenge was different from any other I have done as the issue was not with breathing or wind, it was with pushing my legs to go harder and faster because the snow felt so packed and tough to move through. I ran on the roads (against traffic) since most sidewalks weren’t done yet. I had to do mine twice yesterday and again this morning twice…. Cars were very kind even if they gave me crazy eye. Thank you everyone who was out shovelling and clearing up the sidewalks as well as to those cautious drivers who didn’t honk at me 😀

No, this did not stop me from starting my run 🙂

Eventually I made a path… then made my way to the roads!

I was dressed well and had the weather on my side. No wind!! Or not a lot anyways. My second layer of socks were soaked when I got back from my run but I didn’t notice during my run so I’m happy about that. My gloves were a tad too warm and so was my fleece buff headband. I wore the same pants I mentioned in last post and they were greats. Legs stayed warm!! 😀 In the end, it was all wonderful!! Some fluffy snow dropped a little bit during my run, oh how much I loved it!! ❤ Some shovellers were looking at my like I was crazy and they looked pretty angry and miserable… Not sure why some people hate the snow so much and choose to live in Canada? 🙂

So, I’m one run behind and I will make it up. I haven’t decided if I’ll do 3 runs in a row or if I will just shift my runs down one. The current plan I am running is run every other day. I know I have procrastinated with putting it up so here it is: Run For Fat Loss. I’ve been slacking on cross-training as well and there’s no excuse but Christmas. Hopefully I can jump back on a full strength/cross-training plan again on my days off soon! Right now I just need my days off to work and get holiday stuff ready 😀

I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. –Thomas Edison

December 11 Run: 30:04 (mm:ss), 3.69 km, 8’08″/km

Tonight’s run was an interval run at high intensity with recovery walks (hence the slower pace). The stats show a total of 4.2 km on the treadmill (which included a 3 minute warm up and extra 3 minute cool down). This run was 3 minutes hard (5.6 mph) and 3 minutes easy (walk 3.7 mph) repeated 5 times. It’s the dreadmill, what can I say? I did the run but I look forward to Friday’s steady run outside (45 minutes). I have also noticed I did not run to plan on Monday (40 minutes instead of 45). I misread! That’s a bummer because I could have done the extra 5, the run was so good. There’s no point dwelling over it now, I’m just excited to run this Friday for the full 45 minutes. Hopefully it isn’t puking snow out since that’s what the weather is forecasting. I’ll take the snow but maybe just light enough that I can see and run in. 😀 Maybe the snow can hold off while I’m in my house after my run? Thanks God!

I will get back to enjoying the treadmill!! Maybe by January? I turned on my timer I was using last year for the treadmill tonight to use for my run and noticed I was running 11:1 (11 minute on and 1 minute off). WOAH! I can barely stay alive for 3 minutes on the treadmill without absolutely feeling like I’m going to face-plant. Can’t wait to keep training so I can love the treadmill again for those super cold days.

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. – Denis Waitley

Before getting into the details of today’s run, I’d like to extend my appreciation to all of you who send me your support, likes, and comments. Thank you Christine, runrchatts, Jane Likes to Run, and sophiesara for your support after my last post – I needed it and you definitely made me feel a whole lot better after hearing from you. This blog community, the running family, the togetherness, I love it and I cherish your for being a part of this.

December 9 Run: 40:10 (mm:ss), 5.32 km, 7’33″/km

Tonight was a steady run and I felt much more than steady. The sidewalks were very icy and wind was testing how grounded I could keep myself haha. It was -1°C feels like -9°C with winds jumping up to 26kmh from time to time. I had a fantastic run. I was careful, so careful that in my 20 minute walk after, I slipped more during my walk than I did during my run. I felt unstoppable and felt as if I was running very hard in the 6’s and low 7’s. I guess I wasn’t that fast since my overall is still 7’33″/km but that’s okay. I gave it my all tonight and am very proud of myself. I dressed well for the weather and was probably a little too warm.

For those of you who have been looking, I stumbled across a pair of winter pants that are amazing!! They happen to be cycling pants that were misplaced so I snagged them and tried them on, they’re amazing! Minus the fact that the different stitching and swatches of fabric bugged me a little bit (since the pants aren’t seamless), they kept my legs nice and warm!! What are these wonderful pants? They are from Mountain Equipment Co-Op and they have them in Mens and Ladies (don’t worry they don’t have the butt padding even though they’re cycling pants). I only decided to check out MEC since a running friend suggested their private label (MEC) items are more affordable than buying the Nike, Adidas, Saucony, etc. that I’ve been checking out. Check them out here for $75 in the ladies. Free advertising for MEC! Better than the $100+ on the bigger brands even though I do like Nike. Yes, I still can’t believe I spent $75 on a pair of tights either but they are so worth it now!!! I don’t even spend that much on jeans, haha.

My favourite thing about tonight’s run, hearing the snow and ice crunch beneath me. Every step I just felt super awesome! I love the winter and I love the snow, today was no different. I had a tough day at work spending the first 3 hours of my day fixing up errors and touching up all these issues that had nothing to do with my actual Monday tasks that I felt a little overwhelmed due to other people’s negligence. After a stressful day all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch but what I really wanted to do was run, so I decided I’d run to my plan and not skip it just because I had a lousy day at work.

Today I didn’t run outside not only because I was a chicken of how cold it is when it’s pitch black outside, but because I had a speed training session to complete. I’ve been told that once the temperature drops, it’s not ideal to be doing speed training (rapid bursts of high intense running with low intensity cool down periods). I guess the body just doesn’t enjoy warming up and cooling down repeatedly when the temperatures are below 0. Oh and I got a new toy I wanted to test out today while being indoors, a heart rate monitor to go with my Nike+ GPS Sportwatch.

November 25 Run: 30:05 (mm:ss), 3.69 km, 8’09″/km

This run is a 3 minute speed pace run (6’38″/km or 5.6 mph) and 3 minute low intensity pace (ranged from 3.5 to 4.4 mph) repeated 5 times. My low intensity should have been around an 8’20″/km (4.4 mph) but most of my low intensity intervals were at a brisk walk pace around 10:30″/km (3.5 mph). No biggie. I am just happy I was able to hit the speed intervals for the full 3 minutes each time at the right pace I needed to on a treadmill! This is my first time really doing a run like this (following a specific speed training pace within a regular run plan). I’ve done interval running but nothing to push myself to the max each interval. The treadmill is very tough; maybe because the image in front of my treadmill makes me dizzy, maybe it’s the visibility of all the numbers and counting down the work out instead of getting lost with nature, or maybe I’m just a big wimp.

I am feeling a little overwhelmed, reading too much about running, getting too many conflicting ideas/work out plans, and just so much to process and decipher, it’s information overload! Don’t get me wrong, EVERY LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION HELPS!!! I really enjoy reading your blogs and your opinions. It’s more reading articles and speaking to other runners where I don’t quite feel like I belong. I just haven’t grasped everything everyone is always talking about. I feel I’m still struggling too much for how much time and effort I have put in. In no means am I asking you to stop commenting or sending me messages!! PLEASE KEEP PROVIDING ME HELP!!! Every piece of information is important. I treat each item like gospel and that could be my issue – trying to achieve everything because there’s so much good out there!

Any-who, if you have a good suggestion on figuring out your ideal Heart Rate while running or a site you can send me to, that’d be just fantastic! I’ve found a few online but was just wondering what should be my real guide? What do you use?

Hope you’re off to a good start to the week.

Happy Running!

rundmach

P.S. Yesterday, I was a little bummed out all morning; in a bit of a funk you’d say. Why? Because my plan didn’t call for running yesterday!! What’s up with that? No run on a Sunday? Well I fixed that up with some cross-training later in the day to make up for it (cycled and did various mini workouts).

If you wait for the perfect weather conditions, you’ll never get anything done.

Today marked the first real snowfall where I live. What better way to celebrate than to go outside for a run?

November 23 Run: 30 min steady, 3.94 km, 7’38″/km

If you’re new to my blog, or may have forgotten from last year, I LOVE SNOW! I love to snowboard and I love the winter season. I have not been able to mix my love for winter with my love for running but today I did this. Today, I had one of my happiest runs I have had in a very long time. My 30 minute run at a steady pace was at just about the right speed I had to be (none of this treadmill nonsense). There was half a km uphill against 32 km/hr winds where I slowed down to about 8’40″/km but come on, Uphill and Against the wind, I didn’t care as long as I was still moving. I felt pretty awesome running against that wind and in snowfall (which didn’t last the entire run; it was on off snow). Near the end of my run, the snow really started falling hard and I couldn’t help but have the biggest grin on my face as I was finishing my last 4 minutes. I swear, there was a lady walking by me with her groceries in one hand and other hanging onto her hood to keep from blowing away, stared me down and thought I was crazy for being so happy running in the snowfall.

Breathing was awesome during this run too. I didn’t struggle finding my breath, my chest didn’t hurt, I loved absolutely every minute of my run. It was 0°C (felt like -6°C). I was worried I’d be under dressed but my top was probably a little too heavy as I was pretty sweaty but now I know better. I am so excited to run more in the cooler weather!!!! I do wish I had more chanced to run in day light other than on weekends but I am content with this.

I’d also like to welcome back fellow blogger runrchatts who came out to run 30 minutes with me today! His run plan required him to run 4 km steady, so we both started at the same time and I took an earlier turn for a shorter loop and he went on. After about 25 minutes he caught up to me, not very shocked but very happy 🙂 I met him at the end where he finished his 4 km and I finished my 30 minutes.

I wish I had been able to capture the beauty of the snowfall while I was out but I don’t run with my phone so no pretty pictures. I hope you got to enjoy your day today and get to embrace the winter!

I got up nice and early this morning to do a nice little 5k run. A little chilly! It was 8ºC (46ºF). I wore shorts and a long sleeve. Probably need to go the other way. Longer pants (kapris or full pants) and a t shirt. I could feel my skin crackling on my thighs, but it was a great feeling! What do you wear when it gets to 0ºC? I know the rule to always dress 10 degrees warmer than the actual temperature, but really, when do I start pulling out the gloves and headband to cover my ears?

October 9 Run: 39:46 (mm:ss), 5.02 km, 7’55″/km

So, it was a little cool and I was running slow just to get the distance in but when I got to my last KM at around 33 minutes, I said I can’t finish a 5k in over 40 minutes so I kicked it up a notch. I finished my last km in 6 minutes 31 seconds!!!! Well, I guess it’s true, when you set our mind to something, you can do it! I need to keep pushing myself to be the best me I can and I won’t stop!

Since my last post, I have decided all my runs will have to be 5 k and if they aren’t then the following run will be increased by the difference. Let’s say tomorrow I run 3 km, then the following run will have to be 7 km! This will hopefully get me to the 1000 km goal in a shorter time 🙂 .

In an earlier post in September, I mentioned wanting to sign up for more runs before the year is over. I have now officially signed up for two runs in December!!

December 7: Santa 5K – Everybody has to be in the Santa costume that comes in your race kit to participate!
December 31: Resolution Run

These two runs are more fun runs for myself. These will most likely be done in snow! I could already see my breath all morning during my run and even fogged up my own glasses sometimes, haha. I’m excited to be part of these two runs as it will really push my limits and be a staple of how far I’ve come from not running to running in the Canadian Winter!!! 😀

I hope you remember to take some time to reflect on your success in running and in life. If you haven’t, take some time and reflect, you’re a wonderful human being and you’ve come a long way, be happy and be proud of your success and how far you’ve come in life.

I hope you all had a successful weekend! I have two updates to post for this weekend a few other notes to share.

October 5 Run: 27:04 (mm:ss), 3:31 km, 8’11″/km

October 6 CIBC Run for the Cure: 38:00 (mm:ss), 5.41 km, 7’01″/km

Saturday. Let’s cover Saturday’s run first. I CAVED and had to get out for a run. My last run was Tuesday and by Saturday I was dying to run again and just couldn’t wait until Sunday so I let myself outside and said I’d do 3 KMs and at a very very slow pace. I accomplished this and felt better than ever. I was sooo happy I gave myself this run. After a run early in the morning and a late night getting in from my first ever NHL Hockey game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to watch the Leafs’ home opener vs the Ottawa Senators, I called it a night at about 1 AM. I don’t stay up late so this made me worry a little bit about having to run the next morning.

Top right is pre run and bottom left is post run.

Sunday Morning. Not a problem! Let’s wake up and shower (yes my pre-race routine includes a shower). Off we go. Running for a Cure, my friend and I did the run to raise money for a better future for all of our breasts. Our team raised $680!! This makes me very happy!! I hope one day we can find a cure for cancer (and breast cancer). The atmosphere, energy, and support of everyone at this venue was incredible. I loved all the kids and the spirit that was there!! This is definitely a run I want to continue to do every year for as long as I am alive. I am happy that I am running and continue to run for a cause.

The Run. This is my second time doing this run. My first was my first ever race last September – this was a Big Day for me. It was last year and it is again this year. It marks my progress over the last year. I finished the 5k run almost 2 minutes faster! Although I luckily wasn’t sick this year and gained a bit of momentum from that, I did learn a lot about myself and being a runner in the last year. The Route had changed due to construction and instead of 5k it was 5.4km! What a bummer.. By the time I realized this, I was 150m away from 5k so I gave it my all to try to hit my 35 minute goal… The finish line was actually much further away so I didn’t realize I had to empty the tank earlier than where the finish line actually was. I was unsuccessful at this and finished 5K in 35:19. Although I finished with a group of Warriors around age 9 – 11, it’s not too shabby. I’m getting better!! I did run nonstop and tried to pace my friend but she drifted off after about 1.5km in; I did get to finish, walk back and run through the finish line with her again; that felt great being able to see her push through and destroy her 5k time! Can’t wait to see her progress in a year when we run this again next year. 🙂

More Happiness. Today’s 5k also marked my 500 km recorded on Nike +! That’s pretty awesome that I’ve run over 500 km as of today. I cannot wait to destroy this and get to 1000 km in even less time and less number of runs. This is definitely a huge milestone for me and I’d like to give a shout out to runrchatts for beating his first 500 km on Nike+ too! He also wore a pink ribbon today while he did his run for his half-marathon training. Thanks for the support 🙂

Other Notes. This will be my last fundraising efforts for 2013. I thank everyone who had supported me/the cause I have been raising awareness for. I know I have exhausted all of you, my friends, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving what you can. In the next two months I am looking forward to volunteering and getting hands on with helping before I start to look at fundraising again in the new year. I do also have two other runs I plan on signing up for but those are both fun (non chipped timed) runs that I’ll be doing more for myself. I love to run and I think adding in some runs just for the experience and joy will be great to add to the list of my race history. I feel that over this weekend I have had so many thoughts I wanted to blog about but as I’ve run out of time and left blogging to Sunday night before bed, I am scrambling with those thoughts… I will update you with any further notes I may have throughout the week as I continue to run. Thank you for reading, following, liking, commenting, and supporting me. Thank you for being you and awesome!

I’m not on a running plan right now but I know most runners do their long runs on Sunday which should now be known as Runday going forward! If Subway can rename the days of the week to chicken teriyaki , so can runners!!

Today’s a busy day and I wanted to make sure I got a run in even if it meant running early and my body wouldn’t be fully recuperated from last night’s run… I got up and headed out.

September 29 Run: 25:22 (mm:ss), 3.41 km, 7’26″/km

After reading a bunch of inspiring blogs this morning, I set out to complete 5k after discovering the Automattic’s World Wide WP 5K from Striding Toward’s Life. It’s pretty neat how the blogging community comes together and the running community is so strong.

As you can see by my results, I didn’t achieve 5k today. These aren’t excuses but just plain truths. My body was definitely still tired from yesterday, my body felt so foreign to me as I tried to push myself. That caused me to run a little bit slower, but no big deal, just cover the distance. Then this happened… Over my last few runs I’ve been feeling like my left shoe is tied too tight as the top of my foot is hurting quite a bit once I start running. Today, I virtually tied a knot at the end of the laces and my foot still hurt!! By about 2k I realized, it’s not the shoe that’s too tight, it’s my foot!! I could feel my foot ripping apart. Oh no!! What was I going to do? It hurt so bad today I actually stopped to walk but then I had to completely stop when walking caused the lower arch of my foot to hurt. What was I to do? The top hurt the most while running… after a minute I just said okay let’s keep going and see how it feels, by the time I looped around the corner and got closer to home. I decided that I would just run my way home and call it a day, after all I did get in my 5k yesterday but I really wanted to get the 5k in today for the love of running! I kept pushing… then realized, I need to be smart, I need to listen to my body, if my foot is saying stop, I should stop. So I got home, grabbed some water, and went for a walk to cover the rest of the distance. When I walk, there’s no pain. The last thing I wanted to do is hurt myself before next Runday’s CIBC Run for the Cure 5k charity run.

The results, Falling for the Best will be my contribution to the wwwp5k! I don’t run with a camera phone or anything so I couldn’t take a photo of my run but I’m excited to use yesterday’s run as it was a personal best in the last little bit. It was a very successful run and I’m glad I did it and happy I can put it towards the wwwp5k.

I hope you remember to listen to your body! It’s good to push and strive for greatness but sometimes, you do just need to step back and take a breath, it doesn’t mean you’re quitting or giving up, you’re just building up more energy to destroy the next run!

I’d like to believe I’m a runner… not the elite but somewhere in that breed!!

Hi there,

I’m just logging in my run so this will be short.

September 25 Run: 20:03 (mm:ss), 3.01 km, 6’39″/km

YES!! My goal today was to run 3 km in under 20 minutes (6’40″/km pace), I think I did it?!!! My Nike+ says I did the 3k in 19:58, Wohoo!!

As I’ve been mentioning my, 30 Day Challenge, check out that link!! I’ve just finished day 15 and my legs feel great, arms are still a little weak and doing push ups is a challenge but that’s why it’s the 30 Day Challenge!!

This run was a planned experiment. It did happen a lot later in the day than I had hoped but it happened and I’m glad it did. After talking about my slow pace for so long, I decided, why aim for the 5k every run, why not shorten it down to a more “intense” run, let’s see what I can really do. My fastest ever 5K I had completed in 34 minutes (that’s 6’46″/km), I am now ranging around the 38 minute mark, how does one get slower? Well, it’s not for the lack of trying I can tell you that. This has got to be mental and some physical.

Today’s test, Run as fast as I can for 1KM, walk 1 minute, run the next km as fast as I can, walk 1 minute, and run the last 800 meters the fastest I can. Goal was to do 3k as fast as I can.
Well, who knew, I ran this in a pace that is an entire minute faster than my currentaverage pace. Not to mention, the 1st KM I ran in a minutes, that’s huge for me!! That means if I can add distance to my average speed today, I can knock out that 34 minute, 5k, from May and run at the speeds I was earlier in the year – Maybe I’ll even hit running under 6 minute km’s like I did last year… Where did all my speed go?

Another part of this experiment was to test my breathing and my chest/heart… Well, it turns out the harder I push my legs, the same rate my heart beats and same breathing patterns: I’m still breathing hard and heavy, my heart is still pumping as hard as every, but my legs just keep going. It was an 8 minute to walk home and my heart was still going but the cool down walk was very nice.

I know I have gained some weight since last year (actually about 10lbs), so it’s fair to say that my speed would slow down. But, after all of this, I’m drawing the conclusion that it has to be mostly mental. I’ve got a new plan, run less but run harder. Not always but maybe every other run or once a week. Then add more distance each time, just a little bit. I will still have those slow & steady runs of course. I’m going to look into some more detailed 5k run plans and see if those can help build up my endurance and speed.

The next run is in 2 weeks; it is the very first 5k event I ever did (last September – The Big Day!). I can’t wait to run this again even though the route has changed a little bit due to construction. I was sick last year but I motored on and got through it in less time than I can run 5k now!…… This year, I plan on being in good health and will hopefully run a PR!!!

What’s that?! 10K non-stop, that’s right!! I didn’t stop, I may have slowed down to an 8 km per hour pace at one point but I didn’t stop and I even ran an extra 200 metres pass the finish to hit the full 10k!!

HUGE HUGE HUGE Thank you goes out to runrchatts, CJ, and CF for coming out and running with me!!! My pace is pretty slow but it’s good training for them 😉 . They never left my side and just kept running with me. This made a HUGE difference. For CF this is her first 5K of straight running, awesome!! Those new shoes paid off!! (Don’t worry readers, she wore them in before the first run today, 🙂 ). To achieve this 10K means a lot and having these guys and gals next to me is just so amazing! Big shout out to Nick @ Striding Towards Life for dedicating 10K today to Terry Fox and really running for all the children and all the people affected by cancer. We also had another team member run at a location closer to his home, he did his first 6km run, ever! He also did it in 25 minutes; amazing!!! Thanks MD for joining in on the team! 🙂

This was my ultimate goal I set out last year from not running to being able to run this particular 10k straight for charity, I did it. This feels incredible!!! Our team raised $335 for The Terry Fox Foundation!!! Cancer better watch out because there’s going to be a cure and it’s going to get it’s butt kicked out of this world!

If you’ve never heard of Terry Fox, check out The Terry Fox Story – this original movie from 1983 is great. You could also see the newer Terry film from 2005 for a bit of a different more recent retelling of his story and journey. Both are very inspirational movies I’d recommend you watch.

There were moments I wanted to stop and walk, moments where I said to myself it was okay to walk, but in the end, those thoughts were pushed out with, it’s not okay, Terry did a marathon a day with one leg and he didn’t do it for himself! I did it!!! I just kept running and running. Now to keep running and maybe get to a half marathon one day? Slow and steady!! It is no shock any more how slow my pace is compared to most other runners, but especially today, this is not a race. This is all about me and if I do a half marathon (21.1 k / 13.1 m) in 2 1/2 hours or even 3 hours, I will be soooo stoked for finishing.

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start”- J. Bingham

I am definitely left speechless with how supportive everyone has been on this journey and how incredible I feel. It’s beyond a runner’s high, it’s happiness and bliss. I am loving life and everything it has to offer.

” I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.” – Terry Fox

Can’t wait for more wonderful journeys to share with you and a healthier, happier life 🙂 .

Tonight I have a few other thoughts to share with you, so the running bit will be short.

September 12 Run: 39:56 minutes, 5.03 km, 7’56″/km

A little slower than the last run but it was still challenging and felt amazing! It’s down to 16°C (61°F)!!!! It’s not 40°C any more!! Yay!!! With that being said, the run felt soooooooo good. I thought I was steady and quick; apparently my time says otherwise, but I loved tonight’s run. I am happy with it and glad I have done it. 3 days to 10K!

Yesterday, I started a 30 day challenge. Similar to all the ones you may find on-line, I’ve drafted my own 30 day challenge to include: push-ups, squats, sit-ups, hip raises, leg raises (single and double), and planks. The biggest challenges here will be starting day 1 at 50 squats & 10 push ups and ending day 30 with 250 squats and 75 push-ups. I’m really excited as day 2 is over and I already feel more confident in doing the push-ups, planks, and squats. I’m stoked to get to the end of the 30 days and be able to do 250 squats!!! It’s getting late here and I want to cover another topic before I end this post so I will post the 30 day challenge as soon as I find time to type it up.

THE TERRY FOX FOUNDATIONI am so happy to share with you that so far we have raised $285 for The Terry Fox Foundation, with another $50 on its way from left over payments from the Silent Auction Fundraiser. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You to everyone who has supported this cause and my team with your words or encouragement and donations. To the anonymous donors to those joining me in this journey to some how complete 10K on Sunday, Thank you!

“I want to set an example that will never be forgotten” – Terry Fox

I am absolutely touched by the bloggers and followers and friends who support me day in and day out. I look forward to your stories for encouragement and for strength when I feel like I have nothing left to draw inspiration from and want to give up. You give me hope that there is still a lot of good in the world.

To every reader out there, I wish you all the happiness in the world that your heart can manage.

Only one week left to the next charity 10 k – The Terry Fox Run. I’m no where close to being able to run 10 k straight through but I will complete 10 k no matter what!

September 8 Run: 37:42 minutes, 5.07 km, 7’26″/km

Today was a much better run! RunRChatts came out and we did the run together. It’s been a while and although I’m sure I’m too slow for him, I was running much faster than I normally do trying extra hard to keep up. Even though I can’t really speak when I’m running (which I know means I’m running too hard) and I have headphones on, the company means a lot. I’m glad he came for a run with me.

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler and running is a little easier, have you been signing up for races? I’m trying to but am finding it hard to commit. For whatever reason, I really want to be running with others and am finding it difficult in getting support. I’m not asking for others to run at my slower pace, but just to have a group at the end who would wait for me and we can all celebrate our success together. Do I need to join a running group to meet running friends or get some encouragement? It’s not that I’m trying to come off as weak and can’t do things by myself, I’d just like to be able to celebrate the wins of finishing a race at the end with someone other than myself. Plus, signing up for races sets goals and targets that I have to hit. I can’t be so wishy washy about running since there are actual finish lines to cross.

There are quite a few runs and races I want to sign up for coming up:
October 6: CIBC Run for the Cure
October 20: Turkey Trot Trail Race (I’ve never even ran trail before?)
December 7: Santa 5K (Everyone has to dress as Santa, it’s part of your race kit!)
December 31: Resolution Run (THIS ONE IS A MUST!! I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!)

So, if you’re in the area and would like to join me, please let me know if you plan on doing any of these runs, maybe we could meet up for a picture or just high fives.

Even if you’re not in the area, I wish you well in your runs and races coming up! 🙂
Happy Running!

I know I’m blogging twice today but I just finished a run and I couldn’t NOT blog.

August 15 Run: 40:14 minutes, 5.31 km, 7’34″/km

A bit of experimentation going on today. Tried a different route in the neighbourhood with less elevation. Run felt MUCH better than the previous and I did it non-stop.

The real reason I am writing is that today I posted my new charity up and have already received great response (The Terry Fox Foundation – “Running” for a Cause). I am lost for words with some of the amazing donations I have received in product for my SILENT AUCTION, monetary, and emotional support. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Auction, please do. Even if you bid 10% of the value, you could win and I’d be ecstatic to have some more funds go towards the cause. Note a typo on the Auction form: If you win, you can pay in credit card – not just Visa. I will also cover all shipping costs.

Short and sweet as I hope you get to spend time reading my earlier post from the day.

Today is a new week and today I take a provisional run. I’m away next Saturday and the chances that I wake up early to run at the cottage are slim to none. I’d also like to clock in a few more runs this week and get myself out of the once a week ritual.

August 4 Run: 39:19 minutes, 5.02 km, 7’50″/KM

WOAH! That’s some slow running but I did get through 5K and I’m super happy and proud of myself for that. My first KM was again my best at 6:46. Then it went all downhill from there, not literally through, I WISH! Literally, it was all uphill from there. These new paths I’m running have a lot of challenges for someone who is accustomed to flat runs. I never thought it would impact me so much, but it is tough! I’ve learned to try to think or focus on anything else when I get to an incline and just think step-step-step-left-right-left-right-etc. until I feel the path isn’t so challenging. I’m not making excuses for my slower times but this new neighbourhood has got me working that much harder! Any-who, it wasn’t too bad, I ran 1 KM, walked 1 minute, ran another KM, walked a minute until I was done the distance goal I had set.

Who cares what the pace is? I read that yesterday. It’s true, Pace is relative and I will set a realistic and challenging goal for myself each run. Whether it is to run 30 minutes or to run 5K, my goal is my focus. Pace is my own standard and not a comparison. I am at awe with all the other blogs and runners I am catching up on. I truly appreciate each and every one of you for reading my blog and sharing your stories. Your support and openness helps me be a better me. Thank you!

So, that’s two runs in two days, wohoo! Go Me!! I’ve also done a bit of off-road exercising with some dumbbells as well; yay, strength!

What a shocker, another week another single run. I’m not disappointed though, I had a great few days off last weekend: one run, relaxed, cleaned the house, went to the Canadian Open, and enjoyed life. I have started making changes in my life again as I slipped and started eating what I wanted but tooooo much of it. It’s not about dieting, but it’s about moderation. Why do I need to eat a large bag of chips in one sitting, I don’t! Or an entire bag of gummy bears? I don’t! So, it’s time to go back to portioning my eating, like a small bowl of chips for one sitting, not the entire bag, or paying more for smaller portions (i.e. candy packages) to limit my consumption.

August 3 Run: 30:38 minutes, 4.01 km, 7’38″/KM

Okay, so it seems a little slower and a little less than 5 K, a whole KM shorter! But today’s plan was to run and meet a friend at a location where he would have his car. I got there at around 3.5 km and had to run up and down the street until I hit 4 KM then called it quits. My next run will have to be 5 K, I find that’s a great point to always achieve. With walking in between, I will get my 30 minutes of exercise in but also a distance that I can be completely proud of. Of course 4 KM is HUGE for a beginner runner… How long can I keep calling myself a beginner? It’s been over a year of steady on off running so I really am just a runner. I want to run more!!

They say money can’t buy happiness and I beg to differ. The image above sums it up. If I had money, I could work whenever I want and run whenever I want. I would have time to cook healthier meals instead of opting for fast food and pre-made meals. If I had money, I could buy more awesome running related product which is kind of happiness because I love that stuff… So, this might make me seem shallow or very materialistic to some but come on, you have to admit, when you get that awesome new shirt, all you want to do is take off the tags, put it on, and go for a run! You Run with this new shirt on with pride and somehow, you seem to go just that little bit faster on your first run with it, YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE! It happens to all of us, we get caught up in the things associated to what we love. We love to run and so we are consumed by the materials that surround running. What’s my point here? I just wish I had a bit more time!! Not necessarily money but more time and well, we all know Time is Money.

I am off from work today and tomorrow! Needed to take a mini vacation and here we are.
July 25 Run: 38:09 minutes, 5.01 km, 7’37″/km

I’d like to say this time off has been off to a wonderful start. Already got out for one run, hopefully another before Monday. Seems I am off to a great start on my runs in my new neighbourhood and then taper off. Stupid hills. My first km today was 6:06!!! It’s been a while since I’ve run at that pace but of course, I slowed down once the hills hit. I also ran at intervals today. 6 minute on, 1 walk, 5 run, 1 walk, then a series of 3 minute running and 1 minute walking until I hit 5 k at 38 minutes.

Some other greatness to share; my chest did not hurt the last two runs. This could be due to the inhaler or the heat wave leaving us. Or maybe it’s a combination of two. I still can’t breathe very well in terms of getting big enough breathes in so I’m struggling with huffing and puffing but the pain is gone, so that’s really good news for me! Super excited to run some more!!

I’ve also signed up for my next 10k and my charity, I’ll be posting about it more later one once I get some more info.

What a beautiful Saturday morning it is here! I thought it was a lot cooler but it’s actually just the lack of humidity. It is 23°C and feels like 28. I still got out there, even if I chose to wear kapris instead of shorts… silly me…

July 13 Run: 21:43 minutes, 3.06 km, 7’05″/km

Wohoo, my speed went up a little bit from the last two runs but maybe that’s because I did a short run and it wasn’t so humid. 3K sounds like nothing compared to what I was able to push myself to so that is disappointing to feel that 3 kilometres has already kicked my butt! I am happy that I did go and run and that I can still get 3k under my belt. It’s better than 0!

It’s tough thinking I am running once a week. I envy each of you for running every day or multiple times a week – most of you have kids, a family, and I’m sure a much busier life than I. My town-house is still yet to be completed with the cleaning. There is just so much to do, it’s never ending. Not to mention work has been extremely busy and I’ve had to put in a couple work nights and will be working a little bit over the weekend as well. This coming week won’t get any better with how busy work will be but I am excited to be out for another run soon! Getting out and moving is really what matters at the moment.

Back to running. I finally picked up the inhaler… but FORGOT to use it before my run as the doctor recommended. I felt like there was something I was missing all morning when I was getting ready but thought, Shoes, Watch, Music, Gum, I’m good! Less than half a km away from home, I start working on regulating my breathing and realize I forgot to use the inhaler. Of course at this point I’ve already done my warm up walk and began running, I didn’t want to turn back. Maybe I’ll remember next run and I’ll be able to breathe better!!

I’m enjoying life and enjoying the company I have ❤
I am hoping to find more time to enjoy more of the things I love, run, golf, and read.

On a side note, for all you ladies out there, what do you work out in? I’ve been set on kapris (slim fit) but now that the summer is hot, I need shorts. I’ve tried many shorts. I have tried what you say are running shorts (built in undies and loose fiiting), and I have some longer tight shorts above the knee. Here’s my problem, I have meaty thighs (which is why I need to run more!). The tights are too tight around my thighs at the edge where the sewing is (they taper in too much for skinny people). The running shorts ride up my hoo-haa when I start running (my meaty thighs rub together and pull the shorts up in the middle), so I’m left pulling them down every two seconds. Is there nothing made for me??? I can’t go with tight shorts in a larger size because they start falling down my hips. I can’t go for running shorts in a larger size so that there’s length because they start falling down my hips. I know most runners have this ideal body type but I know a lot of you are just like me, beginner and trying to get in shape. How do you dress for these hot days and you’re being physical?

I may be an occasional runner right now, but don’t you worry, I have not broken up with running, never! ❤

I’m a little lost for words today… I haven’t even started my run plan yet…

July 7 Run: 30:16 min, 3.69 km, 8’11″/km I couldn’t run…

I couldn’t breathe.. My stomach/lungs were clenched.. RunRChatts wanted to get out there today so I went with him… Bad choice for me sleeping in because when he showed up ready, I rolled out of bed, changed, chugged down some water and ate a few energy chews and off I went. I dragged held him back for about 1.5 kms (a little lost in the new neighbourhood) and he went off and cycled back to me later on. From that point on, I did 2 minute run and 1 minute walk until I hit 30 minutes. Could it be the humidity today? It’s 26°C, feels like 35 with 73% humidity.

It seems that mentally I get super motivated and then somehow I get discouraged and end up doing nothing. Mostly, there’s no excuse, it’s just accepting that I’m lazy. WHY?

So, I’m disappointed with myself for dying for the summer to come so I wouldn’t have to run on the treadmill… Summer is here and I don’t want to leave my couch. What’s going on and why can’t I fight this heat?

I was definitely too optimistic when I wanted to sign up for every run possible this summer. I struggle getting myself out the door in this heat. Especially when there’s no sun and it’s this hot!

We were planning to run 5k and I couldn’t even get to 4. On the plus side, I did just get out there and move. Although the running was quite slower than any of my other runs I can ever remember, I did run.

What do you do to stay motivated in this heat???

I hope you’re having better luck than I with your relationship with running!!I know it’s not luck, it’s your dedication and willpower that keeps you going!!! Keep it up!! Thanks for reading, you’re and inspiration to me!!!!

Yes, I’m here and alive!!! I don’t even know where to start. I’ll start with the run. FINALLY, after over a month I picked up my lazy butt and went for a run. It wasn’t a far run but it was great and challenging nonetheless.

June 29 Run: 27:15 min, 3.5 km, 7’46″/km

I couldn’t end this month with not running once! I had big hopes to run a lot of KMs this month, beat my May total (I’ve increased my total runs/kms each month since January), and run on my birthday but that fell through 😦 … Well despite all the slacking I got out today and that’s all that matters. My GPS watch didn’t pick up a signal so the KMs is based on my footpod, I don’t think the distance is too far off. I had to walk at 2 km and 3 km just to give my breath a moment to catch itself. The new neighbourhood is quite peaceful and quiet. Not as many runners compared to where I was before but hopefully I start spotting more the more I get out there.

Regarding my breathing and allergies, I’ve seen a doctor and I’ve received an inhaler but I have not gone to pick it up yet. He said that allergies have been extremely high this year too so that could also affect me since I sneeze at basically everything! Hopefully, once I get this inhaler, I can regulate my breathing better and run MUCH MUCH MUCH faster.

My plan is to follow an 8 K Program. I’ll post this later on once I actually begin it. The plan is to run 8 km in 50 minutes. That is standard but apparently it’s going to be very difficult for me. That’s cutting almost 2 minutes per km!!! That’s huge!! But, I had the initial plan to run 5 km in 30 minutes so this plan will hopefully get me there! And you know what, If I don’t get to that average runner speed, who cares?! I’m out there running and doing something I love that’s good for me! 😀

I’ve finally hooked up my computer today and it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. I’m now settled into my new home but there is still a lot of work to get done. There’s dirty dishes, dirty floors, dirty laundry, dirty bathrooms, etc. I’m sure you get the point. But with all of this in my life, it’s nothing new. YOU, fellow runner/athlete/blogger, find time to do what you love most! Why can’t I?! It’s time to stop being lazy and prioritize!!

I went a little AWOL on running in the last month but no more! I may have taken a break but don’t think I quit on you! Running world, I am back and I will keep at it! You know, you’re a runner when every morning heading into work, I would get extremely sad seeing all the runners. All I did was wish, why can’t I make time?! Why am I so lazy right now?! Excuses no more, running, I am here to stay!!

I would like to share with you that in the last month I have not been completely slacking. I’ve found a new love in Golf. I grew up always interested but never really tried it out. This sport actually requires a lot more physical fitness than you may think. I’ve chosen to spend some time at the driving range over running and well, I need to balance my schedule out a little better. This month, I played my first 18 holes and loved it. I love both golf and running and I will make time for both! Running will only improve my game! 🙂

SOOOOOO.. I’m a little frustrated as this computer doesn’t seem to want to be working. I keep typing and my computer keeps crashing. I’ve lost this a couple of times and a few paragraphs have not been restored. Hopefully I covered all the key things I wanted to… There’s so much more to share with you and so many blogs I need to get caught up on. I hope you’ve been doing better than I and kept up with your passions in life. Until my next run, enjoy your life!!

That’s a personal best for 2013!!! Hard run! I’ve never run where I had no kick left at the end. I kept pushing harder and harder at the end but my legs just wouldn’t go any faster.

Huge thanks again to runrchatts for pacing me and pushing me to be better! It’s hard to believe I may have been running at least a minute per km faster almost a year ago… I’m still thinking because my Nike iPod is wrong, those stats aren’t too accurate… Although I am 10 lbs heavier, I could be a minute slower due to this fact.

By the end of this year I want toplan on finish 5K in less than 30 minutes.

Like this:

Yes, it is still morning and I’ve already been out for a run, I think it’s time to hit the sack as I’ve completed my goals for the day. Ha, yeah right! There’s still laundry and cleaning at bay!

April 27 Run: 46 minutes, 3.73 miles (6km, 6.42 km on Nike+)

Today’s run time consisted of ONLY my run time, no warm up or cool down. Luckily, I was able to get to run with runrchatts again today. Without him, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have run in the morning. THANK YOU! 😀 He was only free for the morning so that’s why I ran in the morning. Oh and as I blog, he’s still out running now!!

We got outside and I told him today I wanted to do 6 km, I have no other plans other than to just run and finish 6km. We did 6 km straight but it was a struggle for me. After 1/4 of a km I was already exhausted and wanted to stop. I felt really bad about the slow pace I was going as I could tell it was too easy for rchatts. At 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 km, I noticed how hard it was for me to breathe. I like running with rchatts because he has his GPS on his armband which is next to the side I run on; so every time I catch up to him, I’m able to see the true distance since my Nike+ App is wrong on my iPod Nano. I was panting for air every time but the run was worth it. It was 46 minutes of straight running, that’s only 3.2% of my day! Sounds so insignificant to the overall when it does so much for the bigger picture.

Breathing is still a struggle for me on some days and today was horrible. It has to come…. My breath is just not there… there’s something blocking my lungs and I can feel my body stopping my breathes from going down my throat. What’s my problem? I’ve tried doing breathing exercises while I’m not running, focussing on my breathe as much as I can but very little improvement has come. Do you have any suggestions?

GPS RUNNING WATCH: Do you wear a running watch of some sort? Do you have a GPS watch? What do you run with? Please share and provide me with your feedback on your product of choice or even negative feedback on others. I’m contemplating getting the Nike+ GPS Watch but I’ve heard Garmin is really good (just pricey). I would really appreciate any insight from you as I really want to be able to keep track of my own progress when I run on my own.

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend, I hope you get outside and enjoy it! 🙂

The real stats to look at today is this: 10 km in 1 hour and 15 minutes, nonstop running for 75 full minutes, and basically, my longest and furthest run to date. Booyah!!

We started with a 5 minute walk and ran for 10K without stopping and then walked a slow 5 minutes to cool down. Luckily, I talked runrchatts into running with me today. I felt a little guilty since he just did a 10K race and PB yesterday, but I needed the running partner. He said he was going to run anyways without me. So, we used his GPS to tell me when I got to 10K so I could stop (my silly Nike+ on my iPod nano doesn’t do well tracking true distance)… THANK YOU FOR RUNNING WITH ME!!!

Oh, I skipped the rest of my running plan because I dread it. I love running but somehow the plan has got me demotivated and there’s 3 weeks now until the race, it’s now or never to do the full 10K. Now I start to wind down my runs towards race day, so excited!! I’ll post modifications of my run plan for any newbies who’d like to follow it later this week.

Anyways, yeah, I ran 10k and I’m proud of it. Yes, I am bragging on here. Yes, I enjoyed doing it! Yes, I am a runner!

Unfortunately, tonight was a treadmill run and a 10K Plan run. I’m finding a lot more enjoyment running outside and loving running a whole lot more when I do it outside. If I’m on a treadmill and I want to run faster so I can finish faster, I have to think too much (what speed am I increasing by, how much time do I knock off of the time set on the treadmill, etc.). The run itself was fairly tough. 5 minute walk followed by three 21 minutes and 36 second run intervals with a 1 minute walk in between and a 5 minute cool down. The first interval was okay and I thought the following two would be just as challenging but manageable; I was wrong. The second one was extremely tough! By the third interval, my ARMS were tired of running. That’s no typo, my arms were actually really tired and didn’t want me to go on anymore. In the end, I finished it and I’m happy I did even though it was hard. I have tried to run the last two nights and ended up going to bed sad I didn’t; but it’s okay now, I ran! 🙂

Advice: NEVER EVER have a spoonful of icing before running… Yes, Betty Crocker icing is one of my many guilty pleasures and I decided to have a spoonful before my run today. Darn my silly sweet tooth! Anyways, the taste of that coming up while running, not so good.

In other great news, I’ve found a new home!!! I’ll be moving in June 1st!!! I don’t know the area very well but it’s a convenient location with many amenities close by. The neighbourhood seems safe to run in, which was key to looking for a new place! I’m very excited to be moving here as it will feel like a real home. It’s a townhouse with a back yard and front yard. No more apartment! Wohoo! 🙂

In addition to that great news, I have even more exciting news: I’ve made my goal of raising $250 for Camp Oochigeas! Thank you to two lovely ladies at work! I am still fundraising so if you’d like to donate a couple bucks, please do so by clicking here or read more here.

This weekend may end up being a rest weekend since I’ll be out of the city and in Toronto to cheer some runners on at the Yonge Street 10k. I’ll be cheering on random strangers but also Runrchatts, I Hate/Love Running, and Eric Y. at the finish line!! I’m super stoked to be in the crowd. I’m definitely jealous that these guys are all getting a medal as I can’t wait to get mine in May! I’ve made a few signs, I’ll only show two for now. Good luck everyone running a race this weekend!!!

Only 3 more weeks until my 10k run!! Wohoo!!! I’m not sure if I’ll be sticking to the plan so much anymore as time is getting too close and I don’t want to over-run. I may start slowing down my runs after another week. Who knows. I’ll just listen to my body and run. 🙂

Despite the -2°C temperatures this morning, I got outside and ran bright and early. By the time I was done running it was +1°C! Yay! Hahaha… It is a beautiful day out now though 🙂

April 14 Run: 37 minutes, 3.2 miles (5.15km, 5.30km in Nike+)

I’ve been battling this whole training program a little bit, knowing that my runs are getting longer and tougher to build me up to the 10k. Today I wanted to feel how I felt when I first started running, ambitious and in love with the lifestyle. I invited rchatts to come over for a run and he said yes. I had breakfast while I waited. The first thing I did was lay out the plan when we went outside: I’m running the same 5k route I did last September, I don’t care about pace or time, I just want to love running again. It’s not so much I fell out of running but all this focus on long hard runs and training to plan has gotten me a bit disconnected with how much I do love running. That ugly face I had when I did the 5K Harry Rosen run, didn’t exist today and I ran a little more than 5 k in two more minutes. I know if I had focused on time and pace I would have destroyed my personal best, but that wasn’t the goal today.

Today I ran lightly for the first two kilometers. I picked it up until the last 500 m (really 600) and ran my heart out. Finding out there was 100m left to the end mark (5.15km instead of 5! How deceptive), I sprinted! I started at one point and said I would finish at a specific point and I did (despite rchatts ‘ GPS telling me we had already done 5k). I emptied the tank and it felt amazing!

The run was great. I felt comfortable and relaxed most of the time. Breathing was extremely hard as it always is for me. Rchatts was extremely supportive as always, thanks! There were many other runners and walkers out. This is what I love about running. I enjoyed the pace, I enjoyed the scenery, I enjoyed the company and fellow runners/walkers, I enjoyed life.

I know I need to train to get to 10k but I also need to remember to break down my runs into the fun runs that I do enjoy. Ultimately, those long runs will be my fun runs! 😀

So, if you’re struggling getting to where your goals are, just stop thinking about them for a day, shut your brain off, enjoy the beauty of life, tie up your shoes, and just run.

Ok, so I initially wanted to run a short run yesterday and then take two days off before my big run again. That didn’t happen last night, so I had to run my big run tonight. It was tough mentally. Physically I feel like my legs can keep going if I forced them to rut now (despite how sore they felt while I was actually running). I wasn’t mentally fighting the run, I just felt exhausted. I thought about why I just wanted to shut my brain off and pick up a good read or watch some mindless show over running. Quickly I realized it must be from work: a few new analytical reports over the last two days have rendered my brain useless. I have also been stressing out a bit with finding a new place. Running on the treadmill I get nervous that I’m the jerk making all the noise while someone who might need some rest can’t. So, I have less than two months to find a new home, pack, and move. I guess I do need to focus on living a healthy well rounded life to run happier and easier.

Anyways, the run is done and my mind is done. Time for water and a bit of reading then bed.
Cheers!

WOHOOO! My Nike+ actually showed the correct distance I ran today!!! I actually ran indoors on my treadmill since it’s raining pretty hard out. Today’s intervals went as such: 5 minute warm up, and 3 intervals of 20 minutes 24 seconds run with a 1 minute walk in between each interval and ending with a 5 minute walk. Today’s run was supposed to be easy with two rest days since my 5K run on Saturday (more to come in the next paragraphs). The first two intervals weren’t too bad but the last one was challenging: not only was I starting to get the sense that maybe I’m getting bored (because it’s a treadmill and not the beauty of nature), I also felt my toes and my left hamstring starting to tense up and become too tired/sore. I pushed through it and just kept moving on to keep me on pace to doing the 10k in May. Now I may be taking another 2 rest days before doing this run again as I have to do this run another 2 more times before advancing. Let’s see how my legs feel in two days time.

5k Harry Rosen Run: First off, I’d like to send huge thanks to runrchatts for coming out, pacing me, and supporting me for the run! Without you, I wouldn’t have done as well as I did, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Second, this is my Personal Best 5K during a race (I’ve only done two but this is my first chipped race). I did 5KM in 35:04:04…. Yes, 4:04 seconds short of my goal!! I am definitely disappointed with this as I lost about 40 seconds in the last half km due to the race finishing on a hill. They warned us there was a hill… after the 4th KM I thought I hit the hill and mentally got myself up this “hill” for about 500 metres. When we hit the a flat for 100 I was excited the hill was over and I could speed up for the end. Unfortunately, the last 300m was the real hill! I think I got up about 2/3 of the way (but it was probably half) before my legs froze. Honestly, I didn’t think I hit a wall. I thought I had this and fought every part of my body to keep going but somehow my legs just stopped moving. Even walking up the hill seemed impossible at the time. Is this the Wall? Well, I made it. I ran the entire race up to that point (about 31 minutes straight). How did my legs freeze and feel like I was stoned from the waist down? Is this really what the wall is or is this just due to lack of hill training? Anyways, who cares, I hit a personal best which I will surely be beating later this year! Third, after all of that, I would like to assure you that I indeed am proud of myself for running this 5k and completing the race. Forth, I’d like to give a shout out to I Hate/Love Running who also ran this run! We’ve never met and I recently started following his run blog and stumbled across his post about running this same race (but the 8km one)! Congrats on your awesome time. Lastly, who runs when they are cold?! I couldn’t feel my toes for the 1.5 km at least. This was the weirdest feeling! Let’s make note to always stay warm before a run starts!

It may be hard to see, but I’m actually not touching the ground in the photo to the left! This is a photo captured by the event and wants $60 for the actual photo so all I have is a blurry thumbnail to share. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS PHOTO! I’m almost like the silhouette of the runner in the header of my blog who’s running in thin air over water. If I didn’t have such a miserable face, I may have considered buying this photo. Also, as you can see, runrchatts was always pushing me and cheering me on: even at the end he pushed me to sprint to the finish line to beat him in the last however many feet. Thanks 🙂

Things I’ve learned from this run:
1. I did not know I was the ugly runner! When we first got to the run, the 8k race was just starting so we cheered all the runners on. We watched and hollered for these athletes running their hearts out as I knew I would need that cheering in an hour. We were picking out the runners who made it look too easy and the ones who just looked like they were dying and struggling. Those runners who looked like they hated their lives (I gave them an extra cheer). Turns out, I’m one of those runners! The pictures posted for the results show me as that struggling, angry runner. It looks like I’m tormenting myself. Who knew?
2. When you’re “racing” in a 5k and in the 2nd last coral, you’re not really racing. You’re racing yourself. So my question, why do people find the need to be jerks? I had a girl in her teens elbow by me at around the 3km mark, rchatts had a couple strollers whizz right by him, and I had a few ladies blocking me in. So, the question is why???? We ended up passing the strollers and the ladies with our steady pace and to top it all off, during each of these occurrences, there was a ton of space around us for passing. Anyways, that’s my little rant for the race etiquettes that some people clearly do not care for.
3. In line with the previous note, I am not running these races to compete with the elites. I am competing against myself. This is a sport to me where the goal is to beat myself and be better than I was the day before. Yes, it’d be great to be amazing and #1, but that’s not my goal and that’s not where I plan on heading. This race solidified that thought and just proved that I do want to keep challenging myself to be a better me, not be better than someone else.
4. I want to run more 5k races!! It’s a good time (not too long) and a good challenge! I think the 10k will be tough for me and I’ll still do the 10 K in May and the 10 K Terry Fox Run in September but I definitely want to do many more 5K races!! Despite having the horrible face while I run, I actually do enjoy running! I can’t wait to finish the Sporting Life 10 K race in May and start signing up for more 5K races. I’ve already been looking a bunch up and might even travel to be able to do some.
5. This was a very well organized run! There was a lot of water, food, great energy and just an awesome place to be for runners, supporters, and volunteers. I had a blast just watching all the 8k runners start and finish! I had a blast completing my run. Thank you to everyone involved for putting this together.

I had a pretty exciting and long weekend. Run Saturday Morning, friend’s dinner Saturday night, and celebratory Blue Jays game Sunday. I surprised rchatts with Jays tickets for all of his help with my running and being a great and supportive friend. There wasn’t much celebrating for the Jays since they lost horribly but it was still fun getting out to my first Jays game of the season! I was so tired yesterday I went to work and barely made it through the day but all in all I had a great weekend!

In other news, I’d like to share some awesome information with regards to my efforts to raise money for Camp Oochigeas. Myself and my running team have been working hard to raise money for this charity (if you’d like a refresher, read more about the charity and my goals from my previous post Running for Fun). So, the Penny has been put to rest in Canada. In respect, I had started a Penny Drive around my office for the month of March. I had also mentioned I would match whatever we raised in the office and donate it to one of the fellow members of our team. We raised $43.27 in the office! I have matched that and donated $50 to one of our other runners. Thank you everyone for chipping in and searching for those lost coins or just emptying out your pockets for a day to support this cause! My personal goal is to raise $250 to send a sick child to camp for a day, I am currently at $243.27!!! Only $7 away. I hope our team can muster up enough support and raise enough money to send a child to camp for a week ($1750). THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED AND SUPPORTED!! If you’d like to donate some change, you can do so here (the site is secure and does not charge you any transaction fees). Every little bit helps! 😀

I’m a bit behind on my blog readings and I apologize for this but I will be spending tomorrow night catching up on your blog!

That’s all for tonight folks! Thank you for reading and supporting!
Good Night,

Today I have run my furthest distance yet and I didn’t even eat dinner yet! I’ll be munching on food as I blog, so don’t worry, I’m getting my energy back in!

April 3 Run: 66 min, 5.35 miles (8.61 KM or 8.13 km on Nike+)

This run was back on the treadmill because it feels like -6° C outside right now. I am definitely praying for good weather for this Saturday. The forecasts have changed up and down from Sun, Rain, Snow, Rain, Sleet, Flurries, and now Sun again. Fingers crossed we get sun or snow (no rain). I am hoping to hit a PB (Personal Best) on this race!!

Now to get back to today’s run. I was hungry and wanted to eat first but I really don’t want to be such a bother and run too late with my “loud” treadmill (I even put mats under it now). So, I got home, went out for a walk, then ran on the treadmill… Yes, I understand if I can walk outside for 30 minutes, I probably could have just done the 1 hour run outside. I feel awesome right now. I haven’t done a third set of anything on this plan and felt great, but after my strategic two-day rest (instead of one), I feel like I destroyed today’s run. The first two intervals of 18 minutes I ran at 5 mph (my standard). The last 18 minutes I ran at 5.4 mph; Why? Because that puts me at a pace of 11.07 minutes per miles or roughly 6.56 minutes per km. Why am I crazy enough to increase my pace by so much? Because this is the pace I need to do Saturday to Hit 5K in 35 minutes.

I know running is about overcoming my own struggles and beating my own records, but after reading yours and other fellow runners’ blogs, I feel I need to really get in the game! I am definitely running charity runs to raise money and awareness. I am still fundraising for Camp Oochigeas and also running To Fight Prostate Cancer at Harry’s Spring Run-Off this Saturday; so don’t forget to support where you can! 🙂

Anyways, back to the run, it was a little bit of a struggle but really, nothing I haven’t faced before and nothing too challenging; it was manageable. You know what this means? It means I CAN run faster.

Oh, I’ve also wanted to bring up something about running. Today I was talking to two of my teammates running the Sporting Life 10K with me this May. They were telling me about techniques, plans, and such. One thing that came up with Tempo runs. So, I’ve looked a bit into this before and read about your runs and other runners who have different run schedules. Am I doing a Tempo run? Does it count? I thought I’m doing intervals but really what does it matter? Running to me is Tying up my shoes and running my heart out! Whether I run at 5 mph or 20 mph, I am running and to me, that’s all that matters right now. Yes, I would like to get faster and better, but I think that will come with time. I do focus on a pace, a time, and a distance goal, but ultimately, I just want to run and finish a run. Too much analytical and not enough physical!

Unfortunately, a little slower than the last run; didn’t hit the distance today, but I did finish and charged through the last 6 or 7 minutes with all that I had. Hands in a fist, short quick strides and ran on like a machine; at least I felt like a robot for those moments. The earlier part of the run was extremely challenging. I couldn’t breathe right, my stomach was/still is upset, I couldn’t find a comfortable stride, and I really just wanted to lay in bed all day today. Honestly, today felt more like a run than any other day. Most of the time I just glide by and my steps seem to be moving the way they should but today I really noticed my steps were shorter. As hard as I tried to float on, I just had to run instead. Luckily I had a run partner again today to pace me and chase after.

Don’t get me wrong, I am super happy I completed the run. Early when runrchatts kept pushing me and encouraging me to find my breathe, I found myself saying “I Can’t!”. In that moment, I broke my own heart. How could those words come out?!! No matter how tough the run is, I CAN!!

I guess that’s what I get for having two pints of beer last night. I know it’s not a lot, but that’s probably the most booze I’ve consumed in one sitting this year. I wasn’t wasted or hung over, my stomach just wasn’t so happy with me this morning. I did have a good time catching up with a couple friends last night and enjoyed sleeping in this morning.

The plan I set for myself is to run one, rest one. Yesterday was a rest day and this was though (I really wanted to go for a 5k record yesterday after reading a bunch of inspiring blogs with beating record times: Set up for Success, My First 5K!!!, and Excitement and Disappointment). During my run today, I just kept thinking, how is my body still so sore after a rest day yesterday? I am eating healthy and all the right foods, but it has dawned on me that I may not be eating enough still; regardless of what all these recommended daily intake plans/diets/whatever you want to call them suggest. I think it’s time to start eating a bit more on my rest and run days. Yay!!!

Speaking of which, I’m off to enjoy some Easter treats, mmm. Hope you all enjoy the day!

It’s a beautiful day outside. Today, is Good Friday and I get the day off work. Couldn’t have been better planned, 5° C outside. Perfect for getting back out for the first outdoor run of the year!

March 29 Run: 66 minutes, 5.22 miles (8.40 km, 9.06 km on Nike+)

I’d like to thank fellow runner and blogger runrchatts for coming out here and running with me today. He obviously kept pace with me but it was great having someone who knew my pace and kept it for those moments I needed to step it up a little bit.

After my last blog things were challenging in life. By things I mean everything and I even had the split moments considering if I should just quit running. I stumbled across this inspirational image/quote to the right and just realized, I’m a runner!
I would also like to thank everyone for the encouragement and support after my last blog. It honestly helps knowing that I’m not quite alone here, you are motivating and helping me stay strong. Thank you thestripedstrawberry, diannegray, I’maRunner?, and Emma D. They all have great blogs you should check out too! Thank you everyone who follows, reads, like, shares, and support. 🙂

So, let’s talk running. Today’s run was my longest distance and longest time. I will be repeating this run two more times before increasing the time again. The run was as follows for 10:1, 5 minute walk, 18 minute run, 1 minute walk, 18 minute run, 1 minute walk, 18 minute run, and 5 minute cool down walk. All in all, I had a better run than last but kept the same pace as if I was on the treadmill (if you work out all the details and math). Pretty sweet!

This is also my PR for 5k this 2013 I think… 37 minutes to complete 5k. It’s not the best time compared to other runners or to my past, but it feels great now! It’s a good steady pace and if I had pushed harder, I could have done it faster. Hello Harry’s 5k next week, be ready to see me at my best!

Tomorrow is going to be another beautiful day out and I’m a little stiff now but I definitely want to get back outside to run some more! I’m glad the neighbours complained; I didn’t run last night on the treadmill because I didn’t want to a nuisance. Instead, I ran outside this morning and I feel wonderful! Hopefully I can get out again for a run, if anything a smaller 30 minute jog or 5 k total. We’ll see what tomorrow has in store.

One more thing I’d like to share. Before running this morning I made a healthy breakfast and watched a very inspirational documentary done by PBS. It is available below. If you have some time this weekend, watch it! 🙂 It’s a good one.

Since my last post, I have been in a very odd state. A vast array of emotions have come and gone. I actually ended up throwing up that night instead of going for a walk. Yesterday, I was pretty bummed out: I’ve received noise complaints of the treadmill in my apartment. I’ve had the treadmill for three months and didn’t throw out the box until Tuesday; I received a complaint on the Wednesday… It’s unfortunate but I’ve been living here for almost three years, it’s time to find a new home where I am welcomed.

Today I saw the dentist and had 1.5 hours of work done on the tooth that’s been giving me some issues. Not in the clear yet, I will be back in two weeks. With the stress of this on my body and doing work from home today, I’m not feeling very well. My stomach still feels a bit off and during my run I was light-headed the entire time.

March 26 Run: 61 minutes, 4.77 miles (7.81 km on Nike+)

This was by far the most challenging run I can think of. It’s the same run as the last two… The last two intervals I was hanging onto the treadmill feeling faint and noticing my headache was more prominent. The entire run, I was in a very negative and dark place. I couldn’t get my mind into the good. In the end I finished it but it didn’t feel as good as the last two runs. I’m terrified since the next run to plan will be 18 minute intervals instead of 12… I really don’t know how I will do this.

I have updated the 10k for Pink plan with a comparison of my plan to theirs. Basically, I’ve changed the times to hit match the distance as the plan expects running a 10 minute mile instead of the 12 minute mile I’m pacing at.

To jump back to earlier this morning, I’ve impulsively signed up for a 5k run. I was super stoked when I signed up thinking this will be great to do prior to the 10k coming up. This 5k is raising money for prostate cancer research and is on April 6.

So, my day started out pretty exciting… Then I started reading other blogs to get inspired… Then I started thinking about all the other runners out there and how I am doing… It isn’t getting any easier. I haven’t found my breath. I haven’t lost weight (and trust me, I’ve eaten a lot better as well). I’m slower than I was before. I am dreading running outside again. I’m terrified of this 5k because of the unknown. What is the route like? What about the hills? What about the sketchy weather?

I don’t mean to be really negative, I just find myself in a rut and almost wanting to quit. I’ve even thought about finishing the 10k then quitting. I don’t know how I got here… Earlier in the week I had the positive mindset, thinking maybe after the 10k, it won’t be enough and I’ll maybe do a half marathon one day…

Well… All in all, I’m trying to get myself out of this funk and excited again…
All that matters is finishing and not stopping… This photo sums it all up.

Hopefully there will be a better next blog, I’ll have completed 10:1 and be in a more positive mental space.

Tomorrow night is ladies night and that means, no run for a Monday. Instead, I went for a nice 5 km walk yesterday and ran today.

March 24 Run: 61 min, 4.77 miles (7.67 km, 8.28 km on Nike+)

Last run I calibrated my Nike+ to the right distance…. Today’s run was the exact same run as the last run but somehow it not only didn’t record the same km as last time, the incorrect 8.28 is 0.10 km more than the last run. Basically, instead of going down, the distance went up! This is definitely odd but that’s ok, still keeping track of my fitness.

I just finished run 9:2 with my alternate timing to hit the distance goals. Because I am doing this, I had to find another app that would set up each run interval to my desired time (unfortunately, my treadmill isn’t smart enough to do this for me). The last two runs, I’ve tested two different free interval apps, Seconds and IntervalTimer. Both have been ok but neither are as appealing as the 10k for Pink app.

It was pretty tough to get myself onto the treadmill today. Spent the day being lazy and didn’t eat at my regular times. I also didn’t eat as much as I should have. Everything just felt a little off. My head said yes you need to do this, my body said no you’re still sore from the last run… After lollygagging around, taking over an hour to change and get myself on.. eventually I did it. Well I ran and I’m hoping my legs function tomorrow for work and ladies night. I’ve stretched quite a bit and will continue to for the rest of the night, and maybe even do another little walk to loosen up before bed. My legs are pretty stiff still from the last run and I’m not sure if physically this is getting any better but mentally I’m telling myself it is!

Oh, I also forgot the best part of today’s run, besides doing it and finishing, I ran the last 12 minutes (mile) with a 0.5% incline. This may seem very little but I’m hoping I can build up the incline as my weakest moments so I can fight through those hills. After walking the 5k yesterday (the same route I ran last year), I remembered how difficult the smallest little hill seemed. Even walking it didn’t feel very nice with my stiff calves. Hills, I don’t hate them at all, I just dread seeing them and having to go up them; but, who doesn’t like a challenge?

Part of my lazy day today was spent shopping – but only related to health and running. In the end, I ended up picking up a few new items for running. I got 3 new sports bras (Stellar Sassafras, I got two pink ones and the back of one is actually cheetah print pink), two running tops, and a pair of capris. All of this was on sale too!!! Everything together (from 3 different shops), less than $100 CAD. Petty awesome! 😀

Hey There!! That’s my longest run to date, both in distance and in duration! How’s that? 5 minutes walk, 12 minute intervals at 5 mph with 1 minute brisk walks in between followed with a 5 minute cool down jog/walk. YEAAAAAHHHHH!!!

As I blog, I am chowing down dinner. Yes, Friday Night is Date night, tonight I had a date and the treadmill is the third wheel. I made a nice healthy dinner for my date to have while I ran. Now I’m munching on dinner and he’s on the treadmill! I couldn’t ask for a better night! I even got my Nike+ Fuelband all set up, so if you’ve got one, add me! I’m already finding it pretty fun and challenging trying to get to my goal before the day ends. We’ll end the night with a walk together to cool down in the freezing cold outside but the crisp night walk will still be my favourite part to do this together.

Okay, back to the running. Tonight I advanced to the 10k for Pink Week 9, Day 1 run. I’ve had to alter the plan a little bit – I’ll be updating the run plan on the other page shortly once I work all the details out. The plan calls for running 10 minute intervals, but after working out the previous few runs, the app wants me to run a 10 minute mile. I’m currently running at 12 minute mile. Since the whole point of the app and this training is to hit a DISTANCE goal of 10 k I’ve decided to adjust my runs to the relative distance the app is assuming I will run. So, the app says walk 5, run 10, walk 1, run 10, walk 1, run 10, walk 1, run 10, walk 5… I’m only going to adjust the running bits as I have been with the past runs. 10 minute mile means I have to add 2 minutes few every 10 the app tells me to run. Not a problem….

By the time I got to 2.5 miles (a little over half my workout), my legs were burning!!! I think I’ll feel this run tomorrow. If not in my legs then definitely in my core. And you know what the best thing is? This is good pain!! I can handle this pain and WANT this kind of pain. Soreness from working is just such a great feeling. Yes, I dread the fact that I might not be able to walk in two days when this run really kicks in but I know it’s working!! 🙂

Yes, tonight’s run was tough, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!!! I may not be smiling as I’m focussing on eating and drinking fluids right now but my heart is smiling as big as it can!! 😀

I hope you all had a great Friday night and if not, Carpe Diem!! GO SEIZE THE DAY!!

Today is a “rest” day. I really had in my mind that I would move onto the next run on the plan (just felt extra determined today) but I decided against it. My head’s been pounding and I said I wasn’t going to do two 10k for Pink runs consecutively without a rest day in between.

March 21 Run: 26 minutes, 2.02 miles (3.41 km on Nike+)

After going for a half hour walk, I did lose that energy and the pain in my mouth, jaw, and ear flooded me with grief. Sometimes, it’s just frustrating not being able to do anything about the pain. Since my head had started throbbing I really didn’t want to run but a part of me did, so I did. If I didn’t, I’m sure I’d be laying in bed tonight wishing I had. 20 minutes of running with 3 minutes to warm up and cool down definitely was enough. Challenging but not too strenuous. The entire time I could feel my jaw and head throbbing but I just thought, how much worse I would feel if I had just curled up on the couch; the pain would have seemed worse.

Anyways, today I felt inspired and went out to get the Nike+ Fuel Band. Do any of you have this? I have not synced mine up or anything yet, I’ll do that over the weekend. I’m pretty excited as I feel this will just be another tool to keep me motivated and challenged. I’m pretty competitive so if you have one, let me know so we can be buddies on it. What are your reviews? Should I keep it? Not bother? Was it worth the $$$? Also, If you have the Nike+ Running account set up, then add me there too! Find me via rundmach on Nike+ Running. I know I complain about its inaccuracies but it’s still fun being a little competitive and cheering each other on.

Tonight was my night off. My plan, as flexible as it may seem, is running the 10K for Pink program 3 times a week, and never twice in a row. I started the night off after getting home from work by going out for a brisk 20 minute walk…

March 13 Short Run: 13 minutes, 1.11 miles (1.77 km on Nike+)

I couldn’t NOT run tonight. After having a light dinner, I started preparing some fruits for work tomorrow. It wasn’t until 10 past 9 I realized, I HAVE to run. The walk wasn’t enough; Just a short run, enough to get my heart rate up and feel good.

I walked for 1.5 minutes, ran 5.6 mph for 10 minutes, and walked another 1.5 minutes. Yes, I upped my speed! (Don’t worry, I didn’t push myself too hard, just testing what I can really do). Off to go outside and do a proper cool down walk.

It’s getting warmer here but tonight I chose to run on the treadmill. The weekend was nice, but I chose not to run. I did go for a couple walks but I chose to sit around and be lazy. I did choose to run tonight. I’ve chosen to walk every day, just not run. I have not mentally reached that state yet where I can make time to run, instead I’ve made excuses. I am working on this!

Some days are tougher than others. Mondays have normally been my easiest day to get myself to run and be the fastest I can be. Somehow, yesterday, I broke down instead. It really hit me. I’m not old but I am getting older and my body is slowing down. I’ve consistently put on weight year over year. I’m losing energy, feeling lazy, and lacking enthusiasm to staying in shape. Last night was very hard…

There are only 60 days left to the run! Please remember, I am not only doing this for my health but I am trying to fundraise to send sick children to camp. I’ve been collecting pennies at work and trying to raise money wherever I can. I’ll also be matching the donations I raise in pennies and change at work. If you’re in Canada, you know the penny is being put to rest. If it’s not too much, please, collect your coins, deposit them, and donate to the charity: Donate to Camp Oochigeas. Even if you’re in another country, send over a $1, the charity is secure and takes major credit cards.

I’m not asking for much. Just the acknowledgement of your support. So like my post, follow my blog, donate to the charity, leave an inspiring comment, or do nothing (even your virtual footprint of visiting my page is enough!). Every little bit you do counts and helps push me on.

All day I have been stoked that I’d be running tonight. After the last run, I couldn’t be more excited to defeat today’s run. Made a nice dinner after work, a small piece of baked chicken on some salad, mmm.

March 6 Run: 40 minutes, 3.11 miles (5.14 km on Nike+)

What a challenging run tonight! Although the run was tough, my legs felt stiff from Monday, my stomach was tight and sore, but I’m super glad I ran! I finished the run. I did all 2.5 miles on 5 mph straight. Wohoo!!

Thanks for stopping by! I’d like to take a quick minute to let you know, I’m grateful for your “likes” and comments, and even just visiting my blog. The fact that you came here to read this post means a lot to me. It is what fuels me to keep going and gives me a reason why I cannot stop. I am ultimately running for charity and to improve my health, but I couldn’t do it without your support. Without being accountable to the viewers and followers of this blog, I wouldn’t be able to keep pushing myself sometimes.

~Thank You~

February 27 Run: 40 minutes, 3.1 miles (5.13 km Nike +)

Tonight’s run was great! Extremely CHALLENGING!! I could barely make it to the 1st full mile running but somehow I just pulled through and did the 2.5 miles straight in 30 minutes! Wohoo! It was definitely hard. Near the end of the run, before the cool down, I could feel my entire stomach tightening up and telling me to stop but I kept going. 5 mph with 0 incline.

The worst thing right now is that my knee kills me OFF of the treadmill. It hasn’t gotten any better for the last few weeks when I get up to walk. I am still stretching and walking every day but my knee still gives out when I stand after sitting for a while. Not sure what to do here, my doctor’s in another city… it’s such a dull pinching pain, but it’s not life threatening…

The best thing right now is that I completed 5 km today with 10 minutes of walking. You know what that means? I can get to 5 km running in probably 35 minutes!! Can’t wait to get there in 5 more runs (according to the 10k for Pink plan)!!!! The plan does want me to run 5 k in 30 minutes but I am set on finishing the 10k in May, not setting a record, haha.
I’m also super excited because run 7:2 and 7:3 are the same as today. This means I get more time to practice and run better at this pace.

Mondays always seem to be a tough day but I always find myself wanting to run more on a Monday night. It was 9 PM when I got on the treadmill. Must be the love of running I have to work all day and fight off the bag of chips I was going to eat for dinner; instead I got up and ran.

I just finished running 6:3 of the running plan on my iPad’s 10K for Pink. The reason I’m bringing this in is because my iPad’s 6:3 is actually different from my iPod’s 6:3 (but it’s the same app!). A little confused at this difference since my iPad said to run 2 miles straight while my iPod said to run 2.25 miles. I didn’t realize there was a difference; I ran 2 miles straight thinking I was doing the distance (over the time).

February 25 Run: 34 minutes, 2.59 miles (4.44 km on Nike+)

I am super stoked I ran for 24 minutes straight (2 miles) at 5 mph (0 incline). I’m 1/3 of the way to my goal!!! The app initially said to run 2 miles in 20 minutes, on my other device it says to run 2.25 miles in 22 minutes. So, I’ve gone for the distance but am a bit let down because I definitely could have done the 2.25 miles! What a shame for not knowing. It is great joy knowing that I feel the confidence that I can do the 2.25 miles. The next run (7:1) is doing 2.5 miles straight in 25 minutes. I won’t be doing this in 25 minutes, I’m estimating 30 minutes.

6 runs away from 5 km! Averaging around 7 minutes / km means I can do this in 35 minutes on the treadmill! I’m excited!!! This also means that once I transfer this outdoors, I can do 5k faster than that! So stoked to get there!!! Can’t wait to see where I’ll be in 2.5 months at 10k!

Another week has come and gone. I’ve let myself slip off of running yet again for 7 days! How is this possible? Sometimes I really just need to be reminded of how much I love running! Every day this past week I’ve procrastinated and made excuses. I’m even on vacation this week doing nothing! There are people busier than me out there making time to run. Every night I’ve gone to bed regretting I didn’t get up to run. Today I woke up and ran! No more regrets. Who can live a life full of wishful thinking? It’s the actions that count.

Of course, once I got on the treadmill, the joy of running all came rushing back!! This came all too quickly and was such a sweet, wonderful feeling.

February 21 Run: 37 minutes, 2.79 miles (4.73 km on Nike+)

Today’s run was not hard at all and yet I ran a little faster than any other time I’ve been sticking to the 10k plan. Maybe last week’s run with the group (at a faster pace and outside) really did do more than just a run. I stuck to the distance today. Running plan for Week 6 day 2 says Workout for 33 minutes (5 minute warm up, 1 mile/10 min run, walk 3 min/0.25 mile, 1 mile/10 min run, 5 minute cool down). Since the last few runs have been short, I did the distance in running which took me 12 minutes to run a mile (5 mph). I don’t mind that it took me longer. I almost wanted to keep going after the first 12 minute and not stop to walk 3 minutes. Quickly, I realized I should take the walk so I can run the next 12 minutes, good idea!

This just makes my heart melt! ❤

Tomorrow I spend the day at Blue Mountain snowboarding, wohoo!!! This is not my favourite place to go especially on a Friday of reading week (spring break in Canada) but I’m still excited to ride!!! I truly love to snowboard. I’m just a beginner but just like Running, I don’t need to be a superstar to love it! It’s going to be awesome!!!!

On the other positive note, I’ve been going for a walk every day this year. I’ve also been making sure I do more lately since my knee is still messed up and hurts in a slight discomforting pinching kind of way… No help… Walking is still good exercise!! 🙂

I’m excited to run outside again and I hope this -18°C weather goes away soon! It’s almost too cold to walk outside with the windchill, let alone think about running! Kudos to all those runners I keep seeing in the area when I’m out for a walk and you’re embracing the cold running like a mad man/woman.

Tonight marks a milestone in my history of running! I ran outside in the winter! I’d like to thank my coworkers who have joined the 10k run with Sporting Life to support me. Tonight CJ, JJ, and TF took me out for a run at 5 pm right after work! They are truly in much better shape and I cant wait to be that fit! This group was awesome support!! They got me to run 10 walk 1!

February 13 Run: 31 minutes, roughly 4.4 km from gmap (4.2 km on Nike+)
My knee is still messed up but the run wasn’t painful; it’s sitting, stretching, and walking that hurts… The weather was a bit cold at first but definitely tolerable! It was -1 feels like -3 degrees Celsius. Next week, I need gloves!

Although this is off my plan, I will work this into my run schedule to be the 4th extra run and follow the original plan on my personal runs.

The group also wants to increase the run to 5km next week. I think I can do this, it will be hard but doable! I know this is a little off my 10k program I am following but these guys are running for me, I have to join them when they run! Plus, it’s super motivating running together. Intimidating as hell since today I ran with our VP, and director of HR. next week, my director will also be joining us on the run!

I’m very happy and impressed with myself. I fell behind but one of the runners stuck with my slower pace. It was tough for me but I did it! I’m excited to run with the group again.

It’s been 10 days since my last run, today, I ran! … It was really a jog but it still counts!

February 11 Run/Jog: 34 minutes, 2.26 miles (3.79km on Nike+)

My knee is still not recovered but I couldn’t take it anymore! I needed to run! So tonight, I got changed (9:30 pm), stretched out my legs extra longer than usual, walked at 3-3.5 mph and ran each interval at 4.5 mph. This is the slowest I’ve ever “ran” since starting this plan but it was nice. It was easy but still very painful on my knee; I ran with a limp and wasn’t trying to. I am taking it a bit easy and not push myself too hard. Slow and steady…

I know I may not be running at the speed I need to be to stay on plan BUT I am still running. As long as I keep running, I know I will get to the finish line!

Taking it slower was great. Tonight I got the chance to practice breathing. This is how you know I’m a beginner runner still, I don’t breathe properly. My friend Robert has always told me to learn to breathe and running will be much easier. He’s able to run forever at an easy pace because of his breathing. I don’t breathe well for the fact that I’m a chest breather and runners are recommended to breathe through their bellies. It still hasn’t clicked in my mind to just naturally breathe through my stomach; I’ve been practicing my breathing even off of the treadmill.

I hope that the next run is better on my knee and I can go a little bit faster. Until then…

Good night for now 🙂

rundmach

p.s. I forgot to talk about how my snowboarding went the other night. I love snowboarding! It was amazing and it was just puking snow outside! I didn’t hurt myself EXCEPT for being on the chairlift… somehow, I got smoked at the chairlift getting on. I wish it was recorded, it looked like something that would have been on the funniest home videos. It wasn’t funny at the time when I fell and smashed my head on the ground but after I opened my eyes and was thankful I wore a helmet, it was funny. I hurt my neck in that fall from a bit of whip lash (I’m guessing from my head being thrown up off the ground after the impact). So, I hope this let’s you know a bit more about me, Snowboarding is the other love of my life and although it has been a while, the love never dies. This should also give you a better understanding that I am pretty accident prone (trampoline injury, snowboarding injury)… I’m pretty clumsy sometimes… most of the time!

This picture made me laugh so hard and it’s kind of true. I hope you enjoy it too! 🙂

It’s Friday and I didn’t have to work today! It’s been a bit overwhelming at work so I decided to use up some vacation time and make this week short. I’ve scheduled quite a few other days off for the month of February. Can you believe it?! It’s February 1st already! Where did January* go? I guess it just ran past me! ha-ha…

This morning I didn’t sleep in too much. Woke up maybe an hour later than I normally would for work. Had a bit of breakfast and went for a walk in the -16°C weather but it was nice and sunny. It felt great being outside during daylight! With the crazy Canadian weather, most days, I get to work and it’s light out but there’s no sun and by the time I leave work, it’s dark out.

My last run definitely was a challenge because today my legs are a little sore.

I had a lot of plans for today and didn’t get through them all but I did get to run!

February 1 Run: 30 minutes, 2.39 miles (3.6km on Nike+)

Today I kind of followed plan. I did the run time but I didn’t do the distance… On the app, the time went 5 minute warm up, 20 minute run, 5 minute cool down. Instead of doing the 2.25 miles in the 20 minutes, I did 1.76 miles. At first I went into this run thinking I would do the distance regardless of the time but once the app changed and said to start walking, I noticed I had another 1/2 mile to go, so I listened to my aching body and walked.

The slightly troublesome part is that I didn’t run on an incline today and ran at 5.3 mph, hoping this “easier” pace would have gotten me to run the extra ~5 minutes I needed to get to the 2.25 goal.

I want to repeat this interval until I can run 2.25 miles straight before going further. This sets me a little behind because I won’t be running tomorrow (going to be playing trampoline dodgeball!). I’ll be creeping into next week’s plan as I repeat week 5.

I’ve decided even though I want to do the 2.25 mile straight before moving on, I will just stick to the plan (unless somehow I find time to run Sunday).
Week 6, day 1 and 2 seem a bit easier with walking intervals. At Week 6, day 3, I will be running 2.25 miles straight. This time when I get to this day, I will do the distance and not the time! 🙂

I’m excited for the weekend: Trampoline dodgeball Saturday, all you can eat birthday buffet lunch Sunday, and a big family dinner Sunday night! Sunday will definitely be a write off day but I’m excited to see this side of my family (we see each other about once or twice a year) and rest!

Tonight I repeated the last run plan hoping I could get a bit more comfortable running it a little faster. Somehow, the numbers just don’t make sense to me anymore. Either I am just a sucky runner or Nike+ and my Treadmill are from two different universes.

January 30 Run: 31 minutes, 2.34 miles (3.6 km on Nike+)

Last year, I had come to the conclusion that Nike+ was wrong no matter what I did. I thought this may have just been because I was running outside. Tonight, I ran the same as I did the last run, BUT increased my speed from 5.3 mph to 5.4 mph for both of the 8 minute running intervals. Somehow, on Nike+ my average speed went from 8’14″/km down to 8’36″/km today. Treadmill says I ran the same distance of 2.34 miles both times while Nike+ says I did 3.61km today and 3.76 km last run. Well, I am puzzled but all that matters is I got on that treadmill and ran. Hopefully it was enough that I can advance to the next run (5:3), which is a little scary…

Maybe I was running at a slower pace, the second 8 minute interval felt like death! Maybe I didn’t let my dinner digest enough before running. Maybe I just can’t be running at 5.4 mph. Maybe I just need a heart rate monitor. Maybe I am just not trying hard enough. Maybe I’m over thinking this. Maybe I’m concentrating on the numbers too much. Maybe I just need to stop thinking. Maybe, maybe, maybe. So many possibilities but one thing is true, I finished the run. All I need to do is just RUN.

Tonight I ran late, I didn’t get on the treadmill until almost 10:30 PM. It took a lot of time to get mentally prepared and some more time to talk myself out of bed… Running is running, doesn’t matter what time I train, as long as I get up on that treadmill.

January 28 Run: 31 minutes, 2.34 miles (3.7 km on Nike +)
Started walking at 3.5-3.7 and ran at 5.3 mph (0.5% incline).

My treadmill is a bit of a miss on my part. I really should have researched more and been less impulsive with it, but it couldn’t have been that bad, I’ve been running the whole time since I got it. Anyways, I can only set the treadmill to a TIME goal over a distance goal. Why is this a problem? Because I tried to run 3/4 of a mile in 8 minutes but in 8 minutes I only got to 0.70 miles. I definitely was NOT walking a 10 minute mile either (1/2 mile in 5 minutes). I walked about 1/3 of a mile for each 5 minute walk. So, I ran a bit less than I should have according to plan but that’s ok. I have more than enough time this week to repeat this workout before moving on (and no, I don’t plan on increasing my brisk walking speed, not sure how I can do that without stumbling over my own feet).

I’m always open to new suggestions, methods, strategies, and opinions. I got some pretty good advice from a few other bloggers who have some pretty sweet blogs you should check out as well. Thanks Jamie and tchatt for leaving some food for thought!

I’m sad… the last part of my blog got cut off when I went to publish…. Here’s the gist of what else I had written…

This blog was started to share my running journey with you. Running has become such a huge part of my life, or so I’d like it to be. I feel it is time for you to get to know me a bit more. There’s so much I wish I could share with you but I would just ramble on like a school girl who just got her first kiss. For now it’s time to get hydrated and some rest. I hope that by next run/blog I am able to break down some barriers and knock down those walls that keep my so guarded. (All of this seemed to sound so much better the first time I wrote it.. :()

This morning had been a very emotional one for me. It started off nice as I woke up with a smile on my face. All night, I dreamt about running and was excited to get on the treadmill when I woke up.
It’s Sunday, that means weigh in day for me. It’s been 3 weeks now and I haven’t lost a single pound. Instead of being disappointed and sad, I was more angry and frustrated over this result. It’s not as if I’m eating horrible foods but I’m not cutting them out. I refuse to. I know I can lose weight and keep eating whatever I want, whether it’s chips or carrots. I like healthy and junky foods. I believe I have a decent balance of both. So why am I not losing any weight? It’s past the point where I’m feeling down about it, I’m just simply angry with this situation.Today, I’ve moved on to the next week a day in advance. Week 5, Day 1. I stepped up and ran each running interval at 5.3 mph. This run included three 5 minute runs and walking in between.

January 27 Run: 31 minutes, 2.25 miles (3.5 km)

By the last run of this week, I should be able to run the entire 2.25 miles (3.6 km) straight. It seems out of reach right now but we’ll see what happens during the week. I will move onto 5:2 for the next run but I plan on repeating that workout a couple of times this week before doing the final run for this week and attempting the 2.25 miles straight.

I’m reading everyone’s blogs and they are definitely inspirational and motivational. I like seeing how determined you all are out there. Thank you all for putting up your blogs and sharing your stories with everyone. I’m struggling to find my inspiration to running for myself but I hope to find it soon.

Tonight’s run is week 4 day 2 of the 10k program I am following and hoping it works out. Day one was easy but tonight was tougher. I felt great so thought I could run. I did finish the run just slightly slower than yesterday on my Nike+ .

The program calls for only 3 runs a week but I have a problem; I have a love hate relationship with running. I do love running and feel 3 times a week just isn’t enough! I hate running because I’m just super lazy sometimes and it is tough for me right now but I’m sure that will go away soon enough. Since it was a challenging run tonight, I may take tomorrow off. If I feel I need to run tomorrow night and feel I can, then I am doing it! I will listen to my body and see what happens.

January 22 Run: 32 minutes, 2.16 miles (3.4 km on Nike+)

Same intervals as yesterday’s run. I did the same 0.5 incline and ran at 4.7 mph but may have walked a little slower today on the breaks at around 3.3-3.5 mph while yesterday I did 3.5-4 mph.

Overall, I’m happy with the running. Makes me feel I earned that extra slice of pizza I’m going to have tomorrow at work, involuntary Pizza Lunch, haha! Don’t worry, I’m not complaining, I’m pretty excited! Feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had pizza.

Today for my one treat item, I indulged in a doughnut and everyone made me feel so fat and guilty for it, I didn’t even get to really enjoy it… Everyday I allow myself one thing that’s not the best but is the reason I am able to hold down cravings; whether it is a small bag of chips or a piece of chocolate, I choose to have one small snack in the middle of the day on days where it’s tough to fight my urges. This really helps fight my cravings as I can have a big bag of chips all to myself or a whole box of candy bars in one sitting.

At work today, a friend helped me realize how my desk was not set up the best since she was talking about hers. With all this running and back pain, I tried to move my monitors around and lift my chair to be a bit more ergonomically correct. It helped my neck and back out a bit actually. Still not perfect but an improvement from looking downwards at my monitors.

After work, I got home and sat around to relax while my treadmill was staring right back at me. Guess I had to run and earn that doughnut…

January 18 Run: 30 minutes, 2.21 miles (3.5 km)

Although tonight was a short run, I walked 2 minutes, ran 23 minutes, and walked 5 minutes. I ran at 4.7mph on the treadmill and that was tough! I know it’s slow but it will get better. Today’s was challenging and I am proud of myself for getting to 23 minutes! I made checkpoints where I fooled myself saying I would stop to walk at 10 minutes, then 15, then 20, and in the end I finished 23 straight before settling down to walk. This was also a tough run because this is the first time ever my knees hurt. The insides of my knees, my lower back, and neck hurt as I ran… This is in addition to my rolls jiggling and flubber cramping up everywhere… The one factor I can think of besides needing to stretch more or getting my posture right at work, is the fact that I may need new shoes.

New shoes!! I think I’ll go shoe shopping tomorrow! I can’t really afford it but my current runners have last me quite a while. Trained in them all last year, went to mount doom and back in middle earth with them, and ran my first 5k in them. Hopefully new shoes will help solve my problems in my feet, knees, neck, and back. Sounds like I’m looking for miracle shoes.

Tonight marks a breakthrough in treadmill running for me. Lately, I’ve been struggling with slowing the treadmill down whenever I felt like I couldn’t go on or felt a pain. The treadmill I got only does preset workouts built-in or a manual time and one speed (in which you change the speeds manually as you run). I choose the manual one, but what I really want to do is be able to create my program to set it to specific miles per hour for specific lengths of time… So this is how I end up running 8 minutes walking 1 or 2… running 5 minutes walking 1 or 2… and so on..

I overcame that problem a bit tonight by telling myself, that it is OKAY to run/jog below 5 miles per hour… for whatever reason, since I’ve started running on the treadmill, it’s been 6, 5.5, or 5 mph and walking at 3.5 or 4 mph.

I had to add-on 5 minutes in another session on the treadmill because it doesn’t let you add time to a workout in process… a little silly… Seriously, if anyone owns a Livestrong treadmill, please help me out!

The entire run, I was feeling pain in spots that didn’t even exist before, flubber bouncing around, rolls cramping up, … etc.. By 33 minutes, my ankle was hurting in a way it’s never hurt before. I kept telling myself that I said I’d run another 3 minutes before I could stop, but it hurt so bad… I kept telling myself, I can do this, and the pain past… But about 10 seconds later my opposite foot was hurting in the arch and in my toes! I’m not saying all of this complaining but just explaining how much it did hurt to run but I just pushed through the pain today. Today was about getting to the time and if it meant running a little slower, under 5 mph, then that’s what I had to do to run for a longer period of time; 20 minutes straight, 45 minutes total! 🙂

Today I had to force myself to think positively; to think that “I’ve done this before, I can do this now, I want this for me, I want this for my future”. I thought about how I want to feel healthy and sexy again. I want to be comfortable laying on my couch without feeling rolls getting in the way when I’m trying to curl up…

~JUST THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS~

I am very excited that I did 45 minutes of exercise today!! Nike+ says I ran at an average pace of 8 minutes and 9 seconds per km while my first 5 km’s were all below 7’44″/km. That’s really exciting! It’s the last 0.6 km that I had walked to slow down that slowed down my average pace.

This means all I have to do is double my current run time and I can do the 10 km! I have not set any time goals as many others do for races… Currently, I would just like to finish the race and get to that 10 km mark.

Off to the finish line!!… in another 114 days… 16 weeks to go! …

Please don’t forgot to donate to the children I am also running for. I know I may be running for my health but I’m also fundraising for sick children with cancer to go to summer camps!!! Please donate here, or read more about my journey for this charity and the charity here.

Tonight was such a rough night. I came home starving and wasn’t in the right mind. Wanted to make some salmon and get some energy to do a run.. turns out the salmon went bad so I ended up spending more time to make some fresh spring rolls… They were delicious but took a while to digest and settle in before I could even think about running. I was tired and freezing in my apartment and just couldn’t get myself together… in the end, the battle was over, I changed and got on that treadmill.

January 15 Run: 40 minutes 3.09 miles (4.9km)

So close to hitting 5 km today! Arg!! Maybe tomorrow! I stopped a bit more than I had expected: 2 minute walk, 8 minutes run, 1 minute walk, 8 minute run, 2 minute walk, 5 minute run, 1 minute walk, 5 minute run, 2 minute walk, 1.5 minute run, 1 minute walk, 1.5 minute run, and 2 minute walk. That last little bit I was aiming to run 6 minutes but ended up walking much more and slowing down way too much. I had been running 5 KM in around 35 minutes last summer so I’m hoping I can get back to that really soon! Today was still slow though: Nike+ says I averaged 8 minutes and 12 seconds per km…. I believe it was still a successful run!

A little sad that my frined Robert has ran again and is now almost 6 km ahead of me. Goooo rchatts for running!!! I don’t think I’ll be able to catch up to him; it’s a good thing we’re running for the same team! 🙂

I want to thank a fellow blogger/bloggers I’ve been following for really inspiring me to run tonight. This is a group called youcantbeatthiscrew. Two days ago, this group posted a story about a guy who sits at a desk all day, check out the post: If this doesn’t motivate you…nothing will. Very inspirational, and just absolutely phenomenal!

It really comes down to just running… There’s so much on my mind all the time but really, what’s there to worry about? It’s just life. If I’m not healthy, I won’t be able to enjoy life so I better just keep running and get my butt back in shape.

Tonight marks a new week. I know I was a bit down last week and I still am a little held back in my head with how heavy I am getting but I did get up and get on the treadmill today. Despite having all you can eat yesterday, two doughnuts & a muffin today, I changed after work and got on that treadmill.

January 14 Run: 40 minutes, 3.03 miles (4.8km)

Today consisted of a 2 minute warm up, 8 minute run, 1 minute walk, 8 minute run, 1 minute walk, 4 minute run, 1 minute walk, 5 minute run, 2 minute walk, 6 minute run, and 2 minute cool down walk. I am a bit disappointed that I ran for 40 minutes, just as I did last run and didn’t gain too much extra distance today. I felt a lot better during today’s run, I really thought I had covered more distance. Unfortunately, I also forgot to turn on my Nike + to track my KMs for the first half of the run. Now runrchatts is still 1.91 km ahead of me according to Nike+… On the plus side, the 23 mintues I did capture on Nike+ put my average kilometer at 7 minutes and 57 seconds! I’m pretty sure my 20 minutes missed in running was 2 km! Especially since my first leg of my run is always my fastest… SHUCKS!… Regardless, the treadmill says I ran 3 miles so, I’ll take it for breaking that 3 mile mark! 🙂

I also tried something new today: I ran without chewing gum. Now this might sound odd to a lot of you as I’ve been told it’s weird; but, I can’t run/work out without gum! Specifically, my Excel Polar Ice. I’ve done this for as long as I can remember: as a kid I even chewed gum playing basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc. I’m not a huge gum fan when I’m not working out so maybe it’s just an ingrown habit? Anyways, I thought I’d give it a shot and just run and drink more water (I don’t really drink water when I run, I’ve also been told that’s not such a good idea). I drank about 3/4 of a bottle during my walks but it was definitely hard on my throat running without the gum today. I’ve gone running for 5 kilometers without water… I think I’ll have to go back to my old habits on this one.

I’d like to say a special THANK YOU to everyone who has been following my blog and checking up on me. Your “follows”, “likes”, comments, and visits do really help motivate me to keep running and not stop. I appreciate every click and every moment you spend reading my words and following my story. Thank you! 🙂

For now, it is time to get some more liquid in and a little snack before it’s time for bed.

Today, I was feeling better, health wise. Today, I felt I could run more. Today, I thought I could be stronger… Now, I feel I have failed myself… I can’t get out of my head… I can’t get positive… I just keep seeing more pounds on the scale…

January 12 Attempt: 40 minutes, 2.91 miles (4.4km)

Started off ok today, 3 minute walk warm up, 10 minute run, 1 minute walk, 4 minute run…. then a series of walking, running, walking… There were too many beeps; I kept changing the program… I couldn’t even keep track of what I was doing other than letting myself and you down.

Honestly, I feel pathetic. I couldn’t even get to 3 miles in 40 minutes…

According to Nike I’m averaging almost 9 minutes a km. Thats 3 minutes more than what I was running at last year…

I don’t want to give up the junky foods I like eating but I can’t get my head in a positive space to keep running on that treadmill….

Today I’ve been feeling pretty unattractive… Feeling extra heavy… Feeling Super Chunky… Didn’t help myself by having a cheeseburger at lunch… Came home and weighed myself, 2 extra pounds!! Geez. Feeling pretty bummed out tonight… Anyways, I got changed and went on the treadmill.

Before I get into running, I’d like to send out a special THANK YOU!! Three very amazing people have already donated to Camp Ooch in support of my 10k run! THANK YOU!
This year, I won’t be mentioning any names because God knows you’re wonderful people, and I’d like to keep those anonymous just the way they wanted to be seen. Regardless, you know who you are and I couldn’t be more blessed knowing such great individuals.

I’d also like to take this time to refer you over to my dear friend Robert. I have inspired him to join our Make Dreams Happen team in fundraising for Camp Ooch and join me in the 10k run. Please follow his story at Robert’s Blog. A few things here, Robert is the one who shed light on this run and introduced me to the charity. After researching a bit more, I couldn’t back out and recruited him to join in. We may have also recruited our VP of our company to run as well, but that’s yet to be finalized…

Make Dreams Happen is a common slogan at work, not only a motto in our workplace but it is a way of life. In our careers we strive to continue to Make Dreams Happen every day, there is no other name more appropriate for this team.

Today I’m feeling a bit better. Still coughing here and there with a raspy voice and sore throat. Nonetheless, I went to work, had a productive day, came home, sat on the couch….and sat some more… What a waste…

January 9 Interval Training: 30 minutes, 2.13 miles (3.4km)

Last year when I started running, I read all about interval training as a running plan. I couldn’t stick to any of them; I liked just getting outside and running until I couldn’t run anymore. Today, I started with a 3 minute warm up and ran 4 minutes, realized my chest and throat were killing me, walked 1 minute, ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 4 minutes, and walked 2 minutes.

It worked pretty well in helping me focus on trying to regulate my breathing and get some water in.
This will surely be a challenge to work myself up to even running 5k straight but I know it will happen… It has to!

Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Do your kids go to camp now? Or do you just like the idea camp?

My mom didn’t have the money to send me to camp as a child… So when I was 16, I got my first part time job. I saved some of the money I earned so I could go to Muskoka Woods for a leadership camp with my school. It was awesome!

I can imagine how tough it must be to not be able to afford camp… I can’t imagine how much tougher it must be to be so ill that camp seems out of question.

Please take a moment in your day to watch this video about Camp Oochigeas before you read on:

Camp Ooch, a place where sick children get to be children and not worry about being sick; A place where parents know their kids are in good hands and are having the time of their lives. Camp Ooch also goes to the children at SickKids hospital to provide in house camps as well.

Last year, thanks to you, I raised $505 to help find a cure for breast cancer and ran 5k. I thank you all for supporting me. I also promised I would raise money to do the 10k Terry Fox Run in September this year.

This year, I am being very ambitious… I have not been running for a while and let myself go… But… I will be running a 10k race on May 12, 2013 to raise money for kids to go to camp Ooch.

I encourage anyone who is interested to join me in this experience as I’m looking to create a team. Please, reach out to me if you’re even playing with the idea of joining or donate to support by clicking here.

We have four months, about 18 weeks, to train and raise money. I am hoping we can raise enough money to send a child to camp for one week, that’s a $1750 goal.

More About Camp Oochigeas

Camp Oochigeas is a privately funded, volunteer based organization that provides kids with cancer and kids affected by childhood cancer with a unique opportunity for growth through challenging, fun, enriching and magical experiences. Ooch allows kids with cancer to just be kids.

Camp Ooch does not receive government funding, and relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors like you, in order to make the magic of camp happen!

Today I had to take a sick day from work. I’ve completely lost my voice with a sore throat and chest pains, didn’t sleep much last night, and had a pounding headache all night and morning.

I’ve spent the last 18 hours sitting in bed trying to rest until I realized sleep wasn’t going to happen even though I had no energy. So why would I be blogging now? Well, I did it, I got up on the treadmill and used it!

January 8 Walk: 20 minutes, 1.23 miles (2km)

Ok, so I thought I could get away with doing a run but that didn’t happen. Started with a 5 minute warm up walk, ran a few minutes and realized my throat was burning and water wasn’t helping… I changed the pace and ended up walking/jogging for some time until I couldn’t take it anymore.

It may have been a bad idea to do this while my immune levels are so low and my body is busy fighting off this sickness… But on the other hand, wouldn’t this be the best time? If I can muster up the energy to do this now, I can definitely get to 10k when I’m healthy!

Anyways, thats it for now. Please keep reading as I have a very special blog to post later tonight!

I apologize for not blogging since my run in September. Unfortunately, I only ran once last year since the 5k and it was brutal! I promise I will not stray from my goals though.

I hit a bit of a running rut last year after the run. I got sidetracked and was distracted with some pretty good things in life, but I did gain another 10 pounds in 3 months. I’m sick of complaining about it being too cold, too dark, and just feeling unhealthy.

My goal this year is to lose 21 pounds and keep it off!

Yesterday marks a new milestone. I purchased a treadmill and now have no excuses not to run! Set up and ran my first time this morning!